


Tipped Over The Edge

by Tenebras_Intra



Category: Death Note, Death Note: Another Note
Genre: F/M, Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-11-01
Updated: 2015-05-02
Packaged: 2018-02-23 13:22:59
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 18
Words: 29,836
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2549042
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tenebras_Intra/pseuds/Tenebras_Intra
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Everyone knew about the LABB Murder Cases. But no-one really knew how wrong Mello had been. The real motives behind Beyond's murders were only known by himself and L but neither were going to tell anyone else. This was much more than a game. This was revenge.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Beyond Birthday had always been a difficult child. His increased intelligence and severe interest in the different methods of removing someone's life from them often caused problems between himself and others. However, often the others didn't survive.

His first kill had been an animal. This was for the mere fact that Beyond had read, as a child, that almost all serial killers began by torturing and killing animals. Especially cats. So Beyond had collected said cat and killed it. He had not bothered himself with the trouble of torturing the clearly terrified animal as he did not particularly gain enjoyment.

Animals were not humans.

Animals were easy.

The truth was, it was rather disappointing for him to have his first kill be an animal. He had at least wanted a challenge. But Beyond Birthday had decided to do his research and to do everything just as a normal serial killer would. If that meant he had to kill an animal then that was what he would do.

It was over as quickly as it had started.

Needless to say, his neighbour wasn't too happy to find their decapitated cat on their doorstep in the morning. In fact, there was rather a lot of screaming considering it was nine in the morning on a Sunday. Beyond thought their lack of consideration for the others on the street was rather inappropriate.

B didn't see the point in getting so attached to things. They all died in the end. In fact, had it served him with any amount of amusement, Beyond would have told everyone he walked passed when they would die. He had tried it once. It wasn't at all satisfying watching the man try to prevent his own death.

Squished by a fridge.

What a stupid way to die.

Nevertheless, Beyond took some sort of pleasure from taking another's life away even as a child. It was interesting to see their faces when they realised what was happening and even more interesting watching them try to prevent it and stop him. As he grew older his methods became more experimental as he pushed the limits as to what he could do. An older body proved to be a lot stronger than a child's.

But that can wait because, for now, Beyond is still a child.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ***Authors Note* : Decided to publish this on here as well as fanfiction.com due to a suggestion by a reader. All chapters have been planned out already but updates may be infrequent depending on my outer life. Thank you for your patience in advance.**
> 
> **Disclaimer: I do not own the LABB Murder Cases. Only T who you will meet later.**


	2. Chapter 2

Beyond was rather disappointed when his parents died, not because they were his parents and he loved them - which he didn't - but because it wasn't him who ended their lives. They were supposed to have been his first human kills, his father would be first, his mother second. But, of course, now that was impossible.

Why did they have to go and mess up his plans?

The fact that they were dead didn't bother him at all. He was merely taken to his grandmother's to participate in a rather awkward and unproductive conversation with the only family member who bothered to claim his as their relative. But that was only because she had never met him in person before.

As he stared up at the rather short, petite, old lady, Beyond began to calculate how hard it would be to kill her.

"Are you Beyond Birthday?"

He only responded with a nod. However, much to his disappointment, this did not deter the old woman, who then proceeded to smile reassuringly at him.

"Excellent. Well, you may call me Grandma or something similar. Whatever feels right to you." At this point she paused, expecting some sort of confirmation, but, when she didn't get any response, she continued. "Would you like anything to eat or drink? You must be tired."

This roused a shrug from the small boy who was then lifted up into her arms and carried in the direction of the kitchen. But his mind was already working at a hundred miles per hour because she hadn't asked permission to pick him up. She hadn't given him any warning or inclination that she was, in fact, going to engage in any kind of physical contact with him.

"Are your hands clean?"

The old woman paused and leant her head back to look at him, a puzzled expression covering that wrinkled face.

"Excuse me?"

He hated having to repeat himself. If they were not smart enough to understand the first time what made them think they would understand if he repeated himself? Nevertheless he released a sigh and stared at her blankly.

"Did I stutter? Are your hands clean? Your disgusting hands may be harboring no end of disease and bacteria which may now be making it's way onto my clothing and skin. You could be infecting me." He hissed, his eyes narrowing slightly at her.

Beyond could almost hear her brain attempting to reach a suitable conclusion as to what was happening at this precise moment, wondering why her seemingly sweet grandson was speaking to her in such an offensive manner. It was pathetic to watch.

B rolled his eyes and detached himself from her so he could look around himself. Clearly she had still not reached a conclusion as to why he was acting in such a way as she did nothing but follow him around like a lost puppy. It was then that he decided she was not worth being his first victim as she was nothing but insignificant in his life.

It would be too easy to break her fragile little bones anyway.

"Why did you agree to obtain responsibility for me when you know nothing of me?" He asked, finally breaking the silence, that had stretched for far too long now, as he turned to face her.

This question was obviously too difficult for her to answer as well as she just stared blankly at him.

"Woman! I am addressing you and I expect an answer. My parents are dead. Now I want to know why you agreed to take responsibility for me. Do not waste my time." He snapped, crossing his small arms over his chest.

If there had been anyone else watching this conversation between the two beings they may have commented on the fact that Beyond, at this precise moment, appeared to be much older than his physical appearance would suggest. That his mind seemed too advanced for a boy who was still involved in an infantile school, learning at basic level.

But, had those same people taken a moment to assess his current progress in school they would be able to observe that he was much more advanced than any of the other infants and was already working at a GCSE level. It was nearly pointless for him to attend such a menial school, but the rules were clear when faced with a child's education and so the best he could obtain were advance classes and early entry exams.

However, while Beyond Birthday was very much aware of this fact, the woman claiming to be his grandmother could not reach that epiphany and so merely continued to look in confusion at him.

"Because you were my son's child and I love you." She finally answered, almost automatically.

This lie disgusted him.

"Yet you made no effort to visit me in person before this event. Could it be that the guilt was too overwhelming for you?" B pressed, arching an eyebrow at her. "Or perhaps the fact that your husband died three years ago and you have just lost your only Son pushed you to the desperate need for love and closeness."

This only stumped her further and angered Beyond to the point where, had he already killed a human being, he would have stopped her heart right then and there.

"Useless." The disgust was evident in his tone and he approached her calmly, reaching up to beckon her down to him.

As soon as her head was level with his mouth he grinned nastily, his small fingers wrapping around the front of her shirt to ensure she didn't move as he spoke. He did not need someone such as herself interrupting him at this moment and time.

"You have exactly three years, seven months, fourteen days, two hours, thirty seven minutes and..." He stopped and glanced up to above her head to check the seconds. "fifteen seconds to live. I'd make the most of it if I were you."

With this, he released the stunned bag of wrinkles and walked into the front room, dropping into the couch as he switched on the television.

"Is there anything good on at this time of day?"

And that was how Beyond Birthday found himself in the orphanage, the first of many to come. But where he stayed made no difference to him as he cared little for those around him and even less for those who attempted to befriend him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The first few chapters (which have already been written) will be posted up quickly, updates will get less infrequent from that moment on probably.


	3. Chapter 3

He was presented before the others as though he were a prized animal up for auction. His fists clenched at his side as he was scrutinised by the scrawny, little orphans. They were clearly trying to decide if he was worth anything, if he was a threat, and appeared to reach the conclusion of no.

How wrong they were.

"This, children, is Beyond Birthday, his parents have recently died and his grandmother had to relinquish custody when she realised she could not handle another child at her age. I would like you all to be very nice to him and give him a warm welcome."

The overly enthusiastic and bubbly woman's lies were met with nothing but cold silence. You could almost taste the judgement floating through the air. Children were cruel, disgusting little creatures.

"Why don't you go play with some of the other children for a while?"

Beyond looked up at the woman, an eyebrow raised in question. _Is she stupid?_ Clearly she was since she took his obvious question for anxiety and smiled at him reassuringly.

"Don't worry. I'm sure you will make a lot of friends."

_Disgusting._

He left her side and wandered over to the seemingly full bookshelf in hope of finding something worth reading but upon further inspection, he discovered that it was mostly children's stories and picture books. Neither of which appealed much to the advanced mind of the potential serial killer. But he eventually discovered a book which was worth his time and amusement and so settled down in an armchair to read.

No matter how much the ridiculous woman encouraged him, he did not intend on interacting with any of the potentially disease ridden orphans - who knew what sort of bacteria they were carrying around with them? - planning on awaiting the moment when he could leave and live his life without anyone getting in the way. That meant no friends and no adoption. He didn't need more problems.

However, the small sound of a girl clearing her throat pulled his attention away from the page and up to her face. She was average. A reasonable height with a skinny frame, topped with a messy tangle of brown hair which appeared to be hiding - ...brown? No - blue eyes.

She was not a worthy first victim.

Beyond raised an eyebrow at the girl before him. "Yes?"

The fact that he had acknowledged her existence seemed to take her by surprise, making her stumble over her first few words. This gave him the impression she did not get spoken to often. His respect for her lowered by around twenty percent.

"H-hello... erm... my n-n-name is Alice. What are you doing?"

Clearly the girl was both dimwitted and blind. Of course, he already knew what her name was, and when she was going to die, but he stayed quiet about that fact, not wanting the extra hassle of having to explain.

"What does it look like I'm doing?" he countered, looking back to his book as he lost interest in her pitiful attempt at small talk.

"Erm... It looks like ya readin'."

"Your ability to announce the obvious is truly astounding. I applaud you."

The sarcasm in his tone earned a confused blink from Alice as she tried to decipher if he had any ulterior motives. Thinking about it, she was probably just trying to reach a conclusion as to what any of his words meant. Clearly she was not as educated as he was.

"You speak awful good for a four year old."

"I'm five and I think you mean that I have an impressive range of vocabulary for a person of my age." Beyond corrected, not bothering to look up at her as he spoke.

"Wow. How'd ya get so many smarts?"

Her lack of intelligence was beginning to annoy him. She was doing nothing but wasting the boy's time, time he did not want to waste on someone as... insignificant as her.

The book snapped shut quickly and he pushed himself off of the chair with a sigh. Now that he was stood he could see that, actually, she was not of average height as, even though he believed her to be at least a year older, he was already taller. B looked down at her with an unimpressed and rather bland look.

"I read and I learn. Perhaps if you were to do something other than wallow in a ball of self pity during your desperate search for attention then you would learn too."

Harsh, yes, but necessary.

He did not stand around to find out if she cried or not, although the sound of the now hysterical woman trying to comfort her hinted that she was. As he made his way down to the area that had been designated as "his room" he attempted to come up with a suitable way as to how he could leave early. But his thoughts were soon interrupted by a group of boys, some of which were taller - and wider - than him, stepping out from one of the rooms in front of him.

Each and every one of them stared down at him as though he were nothing but a piece of meat, something they could manipulate and bully to their every desire. But that was, unfortunately, not the case as each of them would surely find out.

"How may I help you?" Beyond practically growled at the one who appeared to be their leader. He was the tallest and the fattest so he assumed the others were merely his "gang members".

"You made Alice cry." The boy informed B, his tone of voice clearly demonstrated how low his IQ was.

"I did? How unfortunate. Perhaps she will learn now." The disinterest was clear in his voice.

"You made Alice cry." The other repeated.

"As you have already said. Do you suffer from brain damage?"

"That wasn't a nice thing to do. Now we're going to make you cry."

Beyond had to literally hold the laughter back, aware that it would probably result in this ending much sooner than he wanted. _How entertaining._ Anyone witnessing this exchange between the two would clearly see that, although the others attempts at being threatening were valiant, Beyond Birthday was naturally more dominant. If they were dogs, the bully would be a chihuahua and Beyond would be a Rottweiler.

"Oh? And how do you intend to succeed in that?"

The bully appeared to be rather stunned by this question. Clearly the other orphans begged or cried as soon as they were presented with this threat. However, Beyond was not _another_ orphan. After all, he had killed a cat. That was quite an achievement for a five year old, no matter how disappointing it had been.

"W-what?"

Again, he was met by disappointment. B had expected something more entertaining from the boy but instead he was met with more stupidity.

"Il est étonnant que vous êtes capable de marcher et de respirer en même temps." Beyond muttered and walked passed the group of children.

Clearly aware that he was losing the fight the other attempted to regain some control, making another pass at being threatening.

"What did you say?"

Again, the threatening nature failed.

Beyond sighed and turned back to the group, continuing to walk backwards as he spoke. "I said that it is a wonder you are able to walk and breathe at the same time. It is French. Educate yourselves."

He was undisturbed for the rest of the evening and for many after that.


	4. Chapter 4

The event which resulted in Beyond being transferred to a new orphanage was quite simple. The orphanage had a pet hamster - the word _had_ being the key term in that sentence - called Nibbles. He had take a few moments to assess the condition, accessibility and behaviour of the small rodent many times. It was only a matter of time.

In truth, Beyond did not like 'Nibbles'. He found it to be too innocent, even upon biting the small children's fingers, the little ball of fluff still sat and attempted to look cute for them as to make it seem like what he had done was an accident. Beyond knew it wasn't. He knew the hamster liked the taste of blood.

And for that reason, the creature disgusted him.

It was hiding what it was.

It was ashamed.

It was fake.

_It must die._

While the death of animals still did not appeal to the small boy, seeing them as rather pointless in his development as a serial killer, he had read that most serial killers start with the killing and torture of animals. Animal _s_. Plural. Which meant he was expected to kill more than one.

It took thirty seconds to kill the small hamster. It didn't make a sound, almost as though it knew its true self had been discovered and began to regret it's life decisions. Or it would have done were it able to string together any tangible thought in the human language. It was, after all, only a hamster.

The sound of a child screaming woke Beyond Birthday the next day and he let out a small and slightly crazed laugh. Had anyone been observing the small child's nature at that moment they would have begun to question whether or not he was truly sane. Perhaps they would even suggest that he needed professional help. In truth, they would probably be wondering what on earth had possessed him to write a suicide note from the hamster in the hamsters blood.

The screaming girl had discovered the hamster hanging from a noose made of string alongside a note written in hamster blood claiming that it could not go on living a lie anymore and that it was not sorry for the actions it had committed.

Beyond found it all to be rather amusing.

Of course, that was how they knew it was him.

For this reason Beyond was transferred into an orphanage for "special children" where he would be provided with the expert help and tuition he required. Because Beyond was not like other orphans. Beyond was much, much more.

Beyond Birthday would be a name other orphans began to fear and that was something he very much enjoyed.

"So, Beyond, tell me how you feel right this moment."

B let out a sigh and rolled onto his side to face the blonde woman who was far too uptight for his liking. It was almost as though she had never heard of having fun.

"Indifferent and truly bored."

He had been attending therapy sessions, as required, for three weeks now. No matter what he did this orphanage would not transfer him to the next which was extremely frustrating for him. This place had no pets or small animals on the property so Beyond had been unable to make a scene in that way and, since none of the members of staff or other orphans were appropriate for a first human kill, he had been left with attempting to find other ways to ensure his early departure.

"And what do you believe is causing such feelings within you?"

This woman had been persistent. She had not left yet either and it appeared she did not intend to any time soon. This also angered the small Beyond.

"Probably the lack of entertainment you provide me with. I've seen more humour come from the pole you probably dance on every night." he remarked, staring at her blankly.

This only caused her to raise and eyebrow at him and write a single word on his file.

**Hostile.**

Oh if only she knew the truth behind that word.

"Beyond, how do you feel about your parents death?"

Every therapist he had ever conversed with had asked him this question, in fact, even human he had ever conversed with had and he had responded the same way each time.

"Remorseful." Beyond answered bluntly.

This caused her pen to be placed symmetrically down onto the table, perfectly straight, perfectly in line with the coffee mug and the pen pot before she leant forward towards him.

"Would you care to elaborate on that emotion?"

And this was where Beyond gave his most innocent look, one he had learnt from Nibbles the hamster, and smiled.

"I feel remorseful about their deaths as it was not me who took their lives but another."

The therapy session was concluded there, a single sentence scrawled across the bottom of the page on his file.

_**Further Evaluation Is Required.** _


	5. Chapter 5

Beyond Birthday sat back in the armchair, his fingers tented together and his legs crossed at the knee, as he stared at the matron, unblinking. He had been called in this main office five minutes ago and not a single word had been spoken between them since. But that wasn't uncommon. It was no secret that the matron did not like Beyond Birthday, in fact, there were very few at the facility who did.

"Mr Birthday, do you understand why you are here?"

And so it begins. Truthfully, he didn't know. It wasn't that he hadn't been trying, merely that no matter what he did they refused to send him away, refused to transfer him to another orphanage. They were stubborn and Beyond hated it.

A small smirk lay happily on his lips as he looked around the office innocently.

"Not in the slightest."

This seemed to infuriate the woman, but she kept her composure. It was mildly impressive.

"I see."

The orphanage had been rather disappointing. They were not in possession of any small animals and there were no members of staff whom qualified as a suitable first victim. As for the other orphans they were painfully inadequate. It surprised him that they even counted as actual, functioning, human beings. Yet none had tried to challenge him. It was almost as though they knew what he had done to the hamster, or perhaps they were just smarter than he gave them credit for.

The matron leant forward in her chair, clasping her hands underneath her chin as she attempted a self-satisfied smile at him.

"Well, it appears, Mr Birthday, that there is someone out there who wishes to adopt you."

At that point he could have sworn his heart had stopped in his chest. Much to his dismay he could not hold back the surprised expression which was forcing its way onto his small and childlike face. Of course, the older woman saw this, in fact, her grin merely spread. This was a game of power between the child and the woman and, currently, she was winning.

"W-what?!"

He had done something he despised. Responded in such a way that suggested he did not understand which, while that was indeed the case, she did not need to know that. It was simple enough, of course, he just didn't understand how it was possible.

"I do not believe I need to repeat myself."

She didn't. He just did not want to believe it.

"But I have not had any visitors! This is not acceptable! I refuse."

At this moment in time he was acting like the six year old he was and that infuriated him. Who were these people to deserve such a reaction from him?! No-one. They were nothing but dirt beneath his shoes. Yet he was still panicking at the thought of being adopted by anyone who may compromise his plans, especially if they were not suitable to be his first human kill. How would he leave their possession if he could not kill them?

"You cannot refuse as that is not your decision."

No.

"They will be here tomorrow to retrieve you and your belongings. While I do not understand their desire to adopt such a despicable child such as yourself, they are quite sold on the idea."

He would find a way to leave. They would not stop him.

"I believe it may be a good opportunity for you to mature."

Of course, this was a lie. They both knew that he was advanced beyond his age and had been for many years. But that was what happened when you were born a child genius. Information was absorbed and processed instantly. But this was why the child and the older woman clashed. Because she could see very clearly what he was and, for that reason, she did everything in her power to ensure he was miserable, that all his plans were thwarted before they could advance any further.

"I see." He pressed his palms flat against her table and pushed himself up, a soft sigh escaping his lips. "I do not wish to be adopted, matron, as you know. For that reason I cannot be held responsible for what happens to them. In fact, there is no-one to blame but yourself."

He turned on his heel and left without another word. Beyond Birthday was to be adopted and that was not, in any way, acceptable. Now was a time for planning. Now was a time for the future of the child to be decided. Now was the beginning of a very bloody and devastating end.


	6. Chapter 6

He had left to go for a walk, aware that his new parents would be there to collect him shortly but found himself uncaring. The matter no longer bothered B as he had decided what was to be done about it. He did not desire to have parents again - having cared so little for the original pair - and so he would not have parents, not for long anyway.

It was while he was out walking in the gardens that he saw a familiar blonde girl sat on the garden swing. With a swift glance to the top of her head he confirmed his suspicions and allowed a cat-ish grin to cross his features for a second.

"Good morning, Annabelle, you're looking radiant as always."

Her green eyes lifted to meet his, the usual fake smile she wore dropping into a sarcastic smirk at the mere sight of him.

"Beyond." This was accompanied by a slight inclination of her small head. "You're looking more disappointing than ever."

To anyone else, the curt and rather blunt tone would be unexpected from the seemingly innocent and pleasant girl, but to Beyond it was normal, for he knew the real Annabelle.

"Your words wound me deeper than any blade ever could."

Clearly this comment aroused some sort of approval from her as she released a small chuckle and indicated for him to take a seat next to her. He did so, giving the garden swing a slight push as he did. The light shift in his jacket pocket was discarded as nothing but movement of material from the contact of the wooden seat below. He was wrong.

"I see your hands are still as quick as your tongue."

B's gaze snapped to her hands as she dangled the ruby and gold bracelet in front of his eyes. Truthfully, he enjoyed Annabelle's company. She was like him in more ways than one and her sharp tongue and wit led for many interesting discussions. Plus, this girl, who was two years his elder, knew how to hold an intelligent conversation.

However, that did not mean that, had she been a suitable first victim, he wouldn't have killed her.

No-one was _that_ special.

"I could say the same for you."

Of course, he had realised by now that the sensation in his pocket had in fact been her removing the bracelet. This was merely one of the reasons he enjoyed her and the small shrug she delivered suggested that she knew this.

"I have no idea what you're talking about." The dazzling fake smile had returned to her features as she batted her eyelashes and attempted to seem innocent. "I am incapable of such a feat. Although I didn't think women's jewellery was much to your taste."

"You have no idea what is within my taste, love."

The girl released a small sigh and shook her head. "I am not your love, nor am I caring for your irritating rabble. You know very well that flattery will not work on a person such as myself." However, she still turned her head and tilted it, staring into his eyes as if attempting to reveal some sort of answer to an unknown question.

"But, tell me, Mr Birthday. Why is it that your name is Beyond Birthday? That hardly seems fitting for any child of your age."

His grin returned and he leant slightly towards her. "Well, you see, my parents were nothing but imbeciles, incapable of choosing a name suitable for a young boy such as myself. I found my true name that irritating and that... insulting that by the age of three I had developed and decided upon my very own. One that was much more suitable for a child of my intelligence."

Annabelle was one whom he would not lie to often, not completely anyway, as she was much too smart to be fooled by his silver tongue. It was something he both admired and hated her for as there were not many he could not manipulate into doing what he desired.

"I see, then what is your true name?"

" _That_ , my inquisitive little rose, is something which will remain within my own knowledge. A name can hold a lot of power when used correctly and I believe you may be one smart enough to figure it out."

The disapproving stare from her was a clear indication that he had crossed some kind of line and that he had, in fact, made it so her interest in him was at an all time low. But she had never been one for long discussions for others. In fact, she found them rather irksome.

"Very well." She stood and straightened out her clothes. "I will be taking my leave then. There are other, more _important_ , things which require my attention. I do not have time to play with little boys my whole day, after all. I will see you again soon, Mr Birthday."

Beyond hesitated for a moment before standing to join her, although she had already begun to walk away. _Always so formal._ He had gotten too caught up in their little game of flattery to notice that he had forgotten to tell her of his departure. But that would not stop him from doing so.

"By the way, Annabelle?"

The turn of her head was indication enough that she was listening although she did not stop.

"It appears I am to be adopted. This was to be our last meeting."

He could have been wrong but it appeared that she seemed rather disappointed by this fact. What looked like a small amount of sadness crossed her delicate features for a mere second, although that could have been a trick of the light, before returning to the pleasant and polite smile.

"I see. Very well, I hope you have a pleasant life with your new family."

"Lying never has suited you, love. Be careful with that bracelet. It is the matron's."

She left him standing there with a small smile and almost fond thoughts of their discussions. B did not consider her a friend but she was someone he could speak with without feeling the need to blow his own brains out with a pistol and that was high praise from the young killer.

\- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

When he returned to his room he was mildly surprised to find that all of his belongings had been removed and nothing remained but a small note laid on the bedside table. Granted, he did not have much but he still did not enjoy his things being removed without his permission. Their hands could have been riddled with any amount of bacteria and germs.

_**Mr Birthday.** _

_**Your parents will be waiting in the main office. Please join us immediately.** _

_So that was the case._ He looked around the room unhappily, a dangerous and slightly insane mood overtaking his body as he left and headed down to the indicated office. There was nothing to be done about it now. Not yet anyway. But upon entering the small room he found himself mildly surprised. There was a basket of sweets and a small bunch of balloons waiting for him beside his parents. The clear "Welcome Home" scrawled across each brightly coloured balloon was indication enough that these people were expecting something much more from the boy then he was prepared to give.

"What is this?" He frowned at the selection of party items as he asked the question, clearly unhappy.

"This is for you, sweetie!" This was chirped from his supposedly new 'mother' as she stood and pulled him into a hug which lasted much longer than he desired.

"Release me, woman." Beyond detached himself from her and stepped away, dusting himself down in hope that she was not harbouring germs. "You could be filthy. When was the last time you washed your hands? And those clothes, there is a high possibility that you have just infected me with any amount of bacteria from the outside world. Take better precautions before approaching me."

He had, in all honesty, expected something of a shocked or upset expression to be on the woman's face but, as he looked back up to her, he found nothing but mild confusion which was quickly replaced with undying happiness. She was instantly infuriating to the boy. His gaze shifted across to his 'father' and up to the top of his head.

"Good afternoon Andrew Thomas. I expect that you are meant to be the new father figure in my life? Please refrain from addressing me in any manner other than Beyond or B. I will not be adopting your last name as Beyond Thomas sounds rather ridiculous and I am not permitting you to change my first name." B's gaze dropped to the man's face as he smiled nastily. "Is that understood?"

The was a quite clear pause as he contemplated what had been said to him. Again, he had expected something confused or angry from the man but, as he stood up and clasped the boys smaller hand in his own, giving it a strong shake, he seemed nothing but happy. _What is wrong with these people?_

"Well, aren't you clever? I can see you're going to be a great addition to the family already!"

Beyond's gaze widened and shifted across to the rather smug looking matron.

"Surely you are not seriously considering allowing these people to take me to their household?"

The almost desperation in his voice irritated him beyond belief, but he tried to recompose himself before she answered.

"Of course, Mr Birthday. I believe this will be _very_ beneficial to your emotional and physical growth."

Her smug grin spread to the rest of her features. Had anyone else been observing this discussion between the child, the matron and his new family they would have seen a clear power struggle between the boy and the matron. Although the new parents seemed nothing but oblivious to this obvious display of dominance. Clearly they were mentally damaged in more ways than one.

That was how Beyond Birthday found himself, much to his dismay, travelling in the back of a Mitsubishi L200 Animal car, with his small amount of possessions beside him, to his new home with his new family and new found lack of hope for the sanity of the world.

If the cheeriness of the pair continued they would be lucky to still be alive by the end of the week.


	7. Chapter 7

His room was a disaster, the boy could see this just at the first glance. It wasn't that it was bare or he was deprived from the basic needs of a child, anyone could tell that that was certainly not the case, but it was all just _too much._ There was a plethora of stuffed animals strewn around the place, arranged in no sort of order what so ever, and what little space wasn't occupied by them had other toys or "children's items" covering it. The bed was a simple single bed, also covered with stuffed animals, but that wasn't the problem. The problem was the rocketships on the covers. He most certainly was not a person who enjoyed rocketships unless they were involved in a complicated and detailed engine failure resulting in the death of hundreds of people. The ones on his bedsheets were not.

Beyond sighed and shoved the toys off of the bed, onto the floor below. Usually what little control he held over his OCD would be removed by such an action but, considering the state of the room around him, he was already far past that stage of control. No, after seeing such a thing he actually visibly twitched. Placing his bag down, he pulled out what little belongings he had, storing them in appropriate places around the room. Clothes, a pocket knife and a picture of his parents.

The picture was not by his own choice. In fact, the only reason he had a framed image of the very people who created the monster which was Beyond Birthday was because the Police officer who had come to collect him had suggested that it would be a suitable thing to do considering his predicament. His exact words were:

"Wouldn't want to forget the faces of those you love now would you, son?"

It was better to avoid questioning at that stage and so he had complied. After that he had not been able to dispose of it due to the fact that the other children had pictures of their loved ones. It was infuriating.

The soft knock at the door caused Beyond to turn and stare at the, still smiling, woman who was now blocking his exit. He was trapped in a room full of disarray and hopelessness. There was no escape. Beyond wondered if this was an inclination as to what was going to become of him in the near future but soon disregarded that thought. He would never be trapped. Not by anyone.

"How do you like it?" The woman asked as she walked into the room, accidentally kicking one of the toys to another part of the room.

Beyond did not care for the toys in the slightest but seeing them kicked across the room to land in a place that it had not previously been in bothered him more than he cared to admit. He silently went and collected it, replacing it in the place it had previously been occupying.

"I hate it."

The statement was blunt and harsh yet her smile did not drop in the slightest.

"I'm sure that's not true! It's got everything a boy like you could want! Have you seen the bed sheets?"

He stared at her blandly, his fingers drumming lightly on his hip.

"I hate them."

"Hate is such a strong word!"

The sigh that he emitted was audible and clearly disappointed in her response.

"Very well, I strongly dislike them. Is that satisfactory?"

"I can already tell you're going to be a clever boy."

Beyond let out a groan of irritation and resentment before turning to look around, searching for an object sharp enough to do some damage with. There was nothing.

She was not a suitable first victim anyway, but there was only so far the young boy could be pushed.

"Votre bêtise ne connaît pas de fin. Je serais vous font une faveur en prenant votre vie de vous."

His new 'mother' blinked in mild confusion but her smile remained. Infuriating.

"Come on then, sweetie, dinner is almost ready, you can play with your toys later."

"The only playing I will be doing with the damn items is burning them until there is nothing but crushed dreams and ash left behind."

But the burst of anger was lost on her as she led him out of the room and down the stairs to the kitchen. At least the kitchen held knives sharp enough to cut her, but something told Beyond that even if he were to injure her she would still withhold that painfully enthusiastic smile. He wondered just what he would have to do to remove it from her at this stage.

The kitchen was simplistic but tasteful, unlike his bedroom, but he was not holding out much hope for their culinary skills. They did not seem to be educated in that department, in fact, he did not expect them to cook anything worth eating in the slightest.

"What are we consuming?"

"Well, I know it's not Sunday but I thought we could have a roast. There's nothing like getting a bit of meat in you after a long journey, wouldn't you agree, son?"

The father figure in this unfortunate tale which will, with no doubt, end in nothing but anguish and despair decided to answer that question. It appeared that he was the one making it on this occasion. Beyond wondered if this was a regular occasion or merely something which has happened this once. Depending on the outcome of the meal he would decide if he would continue to eat here or would take his meals elsewhere.

The meal was uneventful and, despite their desperate attempts at getting him to participate in small talk, he stayed silent as he ate. His mind was too busy with wondering whether or not the items used to prepare the food were sanitary or if he was eating something riddled in disease and potentially life threatening bacteria. Unfortunately, there was no way to tell now, the utensils were already dirty from the preparation, however he could always wash them himself and ensure it did not happen again.

In fact, the whole house would need to be sterilised and cleaned on a regular basis as to ensure the areas were sanitary. This was yet another reason to burn the stuffed animals.

"Beyond, darling, would you like dessert?"

He sat back in his chair and clasped his hands in his lap. "That entirely depends on what it is."

"Yorkshire pudding and jam."

That piqued his interest and he found himself staring at the wall opposite him as he tried to contemplate whether or not he had ever consumed such a thing. _No, I have never tasted it. I wonder..._

"Yes please, that sounds as though it could be interesting."

This seemed to delight both of them but, in retrospect, that was the most the child had spoke throughout the whole ordeal. Perhaps they believed they were making progress. They were not.

A yorkshire pudding covered in jam was passed to him and he found himself staring at the red jelly-like substance covering it. It appeared to be sticky, something which he did not enjoy, yet, upon tasting it, it was actually rather sweet. How... _Interesting._

"Is this red substance the jam?"

They seemed surprised by this but he had never before tasted it.

"Yes, it is."

"And it is strawberry flavoured?"

Yet more surprise.

"Yes."

"I want more of it. Now."

The demanding tone had gone by unnoticed and he was provided with the jar and a spoon. Looking back on things now that had probably not been the smartest move from the new parents, after all, jam was quite a sugary substance and could cause no end of cavities and destruction within the childs mouth. But they were all to willing to please and would comply with any demand he had.

They wanted his love.

Even if they had to buy it.


	8. Chapter 8

The day Beyond Birthday located his first victim had been a Wednesday. He was supposed to have been at school but, due to yet another fight with a child who wasn't even good enough to share the same air as B, he had been sent home early. It had been six months since he had been adopted. Six months in the hell hole that was known as overly devoted and loving parents.

Six months.

No escape.

It had driven Beyond to near breaking point. Although, at this stage, he had arranged his room into a way which meant he could go and at least regain some of his sanity. His own personal haven. Somewhere he could detach himself from the outside world. However, the outside world seemed to not want to leave him alone.

The outside world also had an issue with knocking.

But on this particular day, Beyond had left school and walked home. His new 'parents' would be at work. There would be no-one there for him to have to interact with, no-one for him to have to pretend around. He'd have four whole hours with no-one there.

Pure bliss.

So when B got home and opened the door to sounds coming from upstairs he was instantly on guard. No-one should be home. They were at work. This meant that someone was intruding in his household. Even if he did not care for the home, or its residents for that matter, it was still _his_ and he did not intend to allow anyone to enter it without his permission. For that reason, Beyond entered the kitchen and selected his favourite knife, something he had become quite fond of and was rather talented with using now. Even if it was only for preparing meals which were at least edible and far above the standards of his 'parents'.

However, upon wandering up the stairs silently and discovering the source of the unfortunate and animalistic noises, he discovered his 'mother' engaging in an act which he should have been too young to know anything about. Unfortunately this was not the case. Beyond was very much aware of the act of sex and what it implied. He did not, however, expect his 'mother' to be committing such an act with a man who was not the person meant to be his father.

Her surprised scream was audible and oddly humiliating for her. B merely stared, clearly unamused, as they rushed to try and cover themselves, breathing heavily as they did.

"Mother, a word."

He had never once called her by her supposed role in his life but, given the circumstances, Beyond believed it would be more affective. She was clearly engulfed in guilt as she climbed from the bed and grabbed a dressing gown, joining him outside as he slipped the knife into his waistband, out of her sight.

"Honey, listen, I love your da-"

He held up his hand to stop her, not needing to hear her pathetic excuses as to why she was being promiscuous with another man. He did not need to and he certainly did not want to.

"Listen to me, woman, I do not care for you or your excuses, which I am sure will be full to the brim with lies and grovelling. It is vitally important for you to understand that I now have leverage over you. If my terms are not met your husband will be told and I will watch your pathetic excuse for a marriage disintegrate around you. Is that understood?"

Her face dropped into a subtle realisation.

_Yes, at least now she's getting it._

The nod was barely visible but he had been expecting it. His smile on the other hand was completely clear and smug. Beyond was enjoying himself too much.

"Good. I want you to leave me in peace from the moment I get home to the moment I leave for school. I need complete peace and quiet. If not I will be forced to take action upon you. I will prepare my own meals and I will choose my own clothes. You will provide me with suitable amounts of money and will fetch whatever I desire. Without complaint. You understand what will happen if you are to not meet my terms, correct?"

Again, another nod. Beyond's grin spread and he indicated towards the bedroom.

"Go, finish your romp and tell him to never return. If I see him again, I'll kill him."

The silence was so loud it almost hurt his ears. But finally it was broken by her horrified and distraught voice.

"Who _are_ you?"

"Beyond Birthday. The boy you adopted and the one who will take your life."

With that, he turned and left, deciding to go to the park instead of standing around and listening to such an act. He was only young after all.

Having walked around the park for about thirty minutes he had reached a conclusion. His 'mother' would be his first victim. It was fitting after all. Her perkiness and overly happy attitude for the majority of his stay with them had nearly pushed him to breaking point.

No-one with so little mental capacity was allowed to do that. No-one that far below him. He would not allow it.

So in three days time, she would die.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Description of murder in next chapter. Just to warn you. Hope you're enjoying this still. If you've come this far, well done! Let's see how far we can get.


	9. Chapter 9

For two days Beyond was waited on hand and foot. When he wanted silence, the whole house fell into a hush. When he desired the presence of another person, that person would be in his company within a minute. When he needed something, it was brought to him without complaint. Finally, Beyond had the sort of life he had wanted. But he was still not satisfied and that third day was growing ever closer to reality.

In his eyes, there was still a lot of preparation to do. He had to set the scene, he had to make sure he had the right materials, he had to ensure he would not be disturbed. This could take hours if he was to do it to the standard he required. And so, on that third day, Beyond skipped school, merely leaving the house for half a hour to give his parents time to depart for work. The woman would be home three hours before the man, that gave him enough time to execute the kill efficiently and to his expectations.

Excited did not begin to describe the young boy.

First on the list was to clean the entire house. This would have to be repeated after the killing as well, but for now it was important for him to ensure any blood could be lifted from the surfaces easily. He did not intend to leave stains. Beyond had told his parents that he would be late home since he was 'visiting a friend's home'. Of course, this was a lie, Beyond did not have friends, but the lie had effectively provided him with a few extra hours to dispose of the body without the male of the household getting suspicious as to his whereabouts.

The child had thought of everything, including the cover for her disappearance. The letter was simple, merely explaining that she had been cheating on him and was not satisfied with living in the same home as him anymore. Therefore, she was leaving with another man. It was believable, of course, the woman _had_ been cheating on him, for quite some time it appeared. But perfecting her handwriting had taken hours of studying previous notes she had written to ensure there would be no suspicions.

Everything had to be _perfect._

And so, when his 'mother' returned home from work to find Beyond sat in the armchair in the living room, she was more than a little surprised. Her eyes widened momentarily before she recognised the young boy, her hand flying to her chest in an attempt to communicate how he had startled her. Beyond's smirk was evident. _I haven't even begun._

"Oh, hello honey. You're home early."

He did not want idle chit-chat. He did not have _time_ or _patience_ for idle chit-chat.

"I am aware."

His voice was quiet and focused as he stood up and sauntered over to her, his arms outstretched in a request for a hug. Beyond had learnt to cry on demand at a very young age, often finding it useful in situations he happened to get in way too often. And now was no exception. She quickly bent down and lifted him into her arms, patting his back in an attempt of comfort.

"Oh, sweetie, what's wrong?! Did something happen?"

His small head nodded against her neck, a sick and manic grin plastered onto his features.

"Yes. My mother's a whore."

The small needle was pressed into her neck and the Etorphine was quickly administered into her blood stream. She was out before she could protest, her body dropping to the floor with a soft _thump._

Beyond landed in a crouch and straightened himself, looking around briefly before getting to work. There were certain things which needed to be prepared. Her body had to be cleaned and arranged perfectly on the dining table although, of course, it would not be staying there long. If he remained on schedule there would only be two minutes and twenty four seconds to appreciate the work which he had done. Two minutes, twenty four seconds. A life could be taken in that time. In the perfect circumstances, he would have enjoyed to have at least ten minutes to bask in his glorious actions, perhaps a hour if he wanted to allow himself to relax for a small while after, but these were not perfect circumstances. These weren't even mediocre.

With a sigh, Beyond pulled a chair to the side of the table, which his 'mother' was now laid across, her hands clasped below her breasts as though she were lying in a coffin, and he pulled himself up to stare down at her. His eyes swept over her limp body as he analysed where would be best to make the first incision. He wanted it to be perfect. It _had_ to be perfect. If it wasn't, this would have all been a waste of time and energy and that was not something Beyond was willing to accept.

"If I cut the internal jugular, you'll bleed to death within two minutes. If I cut the external jugular, you'll bleed to death within five minutes. If I cut both you'll be dead within the minute."

His mutterings were mostly to himself as he pointed with the tip of the blade to each area he spoke of. This was something he had hoped to have decided before today but, unfortunately, he had been too easily distracted by the concept of actually _taking her life._ The knowledge that he was about to do just that excited him to the point where he could barely withstand it.

"However, that may cause a lot of mess and that would require a _lot_ more cleaning than I may have time for." His knife moved to her chest, the point resting gently on the material below. "Perhaps a direct stab through the rib cage, into the heart below would be better. There would be less blood loss and it would be easier to hide were anything to go wrong."

But he wasn't sure what it was he had hoped to do for his first kill. Obviously, he had wanted something much more extravagant, something he could look back on in his later years and be _proud_ of. Something he could say was his first kill with a grin. This woman was not what he was expecting to be below his blade first, but somethings cannot be helped.

With a firm nod, Beyond's arms raised above his head, the tip of the blade positioned directly above her chest, and he grinned. He had made his decision. The predator was ready to kill his prey. _Now_ was the time to strike.

"Goodbye, mother."

His hands came down, the knife plunging into the soft skin below and going straight through to the heart. Beyond relished in the feeling of the flesh parting below his weapon and continued to push until he felt her heart pop from the pressure. At that moment he stopped and looked down, breathing heavily. She was still unconscious, luckily, causing a small grin to cover the child's face. _Etorphine is a good choice then._ He would remember that for future reference.

Beyond released the blade and leant away, inspecting his handy work for a moment to ensure there wasn't anything he could have done better. There wasn't. The kill was flawless. _Perfect._

That was until the young killer heard footsteps stop behind him and a sharp intake of breath, indicating the presence of another individual inside the house. He turned quickly, wobbling slightly on the chair, to see who was disturbing him only to find the fool of a man who called himself Beyond's father stood there, looking bewildered and confused.

"W-what's happening?"

In truth, Beyond's heart was beating at twice its usual pace, the rush of adrenaline and now, mild, fear that was now building up within his body proving to have quite a severe effect inside him. _This_ was not the plan. The fool was not meant to be home yet. Beyond was meant to have _hours_ to dispose of the body effectively, yet here he was, stood with his eyes wide and upset as he took in the scene of his recently murdered wife and his new found killer of a son. But B did not have time to panic, only time to react. If he were to wait any longer, things could go drastically wrong within a matter of seconds.

A small chuckle rumbled through the child's chest, his eyes dropping and his lips turning up into a slight smirk as a plan formed within his mind. This could be fixed easily.

"Oh, you fool. If you had stayed away just a few hours longer I would have spared your life."

His voice was low and dangerous as his gaze rose to meet that of the, now purely terrified, man before him. Clearly, the adults brain was not fast enough or developed enough to withstand the pace at which the events before him were happening. Silently, Beyond wondered how long he would have to wait before the man screamed, but that was not an experiment he had time to run.

"Wh-what?"

Beyond dropped from the chair, pulling the knife from the deceased woman's chest as he went, and wandered over to him. With a smile he held out the blade and tilted his head.

"Do not speak if you are going to stutter. The sound infuriates me. Now, be a good father and hold this for me."

The man took the blade without even a second thought, clearly trying to make sense of what he was seeing and what his adopted child was saying before processing anything else.

"Good. Now then, here is what's going to happen. You are going to have your throat slit and you will then proceed to die before me. I will then call the Police and, when they arrive, I will tell them that you discovered your wife was having an affair and, in a fit of rage, stabbed her in the chest. When you realised what you had done, you couldn't live with the guilt and took your own life leaving me, your child, to be an orphan, once again. How inconsiderate of you. Really, I would have expected better from new parents."

The look which was plastered upon the elders face was almost amusing and, had the circumstances been any different, Beyond may have laughed at him. But there was no time for humour. There was a job to be done.

"She was cheating on me?"

"Yes, you fool. She was."

And with that, Beyond stretched up and drew the man's hand across his neck, watching as the blade sliced through the skin easily before parting to allow his life source to seep from the wound. It only seeped for a moment though. It _poured_ after that. He had successfully sliced through both the internal and external jugular, leaving him with no time to save himself, only enough time to drop to the floor and die.

"I expected more."

At this stage, Beyond had lost all hint of emotion within the tones of his voice, his eyes remaining dull and uninterested as he made his way to the phone in the hall. There was a job to finish, after all.

The child returned to the orphanage that night after being thoroughly questioned and cleaned of the blood from his clothes. Only this time Beyond did not return as just an orphan. This time he returned as something _much_ more dangerous.

Beyond Birthday returned as a killer.


	10. Chapter 10

The doors opened in front of Beyond and the police officer escorted him inside the orphanage, a towel draped over his shoulders as he sniffled and shook in fear. Or so they thought. But what was really being displayed was an act of emotion, one he had seen displayed in various different victims of various different traumatic events.

When one had experienced something traumatic, they were expected to act accordingly as to not arose suspicion from those around them.

So that is what Beyond Birthday did. He acted how he was expected to react towards the given situation. Of course, the matron was more than a little unhappy to see him, but that did not stop him from smirking lightly, towards the ground, as he walked passed her. The woman in power was nothing more than an irritant to him now. There was no-one in this facility who could stop him and those who might try would end up like the other two.

Cold.

Stiff.

_Dead._

The moment the door to his room shut behind him, Beyond shed the blanket and strode across to his bed, a new found air of contempt washing through him as he collapsed onto the springy mattress below. The act had been dropped. The natural Beyond had returned.

"So easy to trick. Let shivers rack your body and tears run from your eyes and they can be molded into whatever you wish."

His eyes focused onto the ceiling above as he thought, his feet crossed at the ankles and his hands behind his head. _This_ was how Beyond was meant to live. Not as an innocent child, protected from the danger of the outside world. No. He was meant to _control_ the danger of the outside world.

 _This_ was his calling in life.

But, of course, Beyond did not intend to stay within the confides of the orphanage for much longer. He was tired of allowing other people to dictate which direction his life would lead and he did not enjoy the thought that another couple may be idiotic enough to assume that he is a nice enough child to adopt. And so Beyond began to formulate a plan to ensure he could leave within a few nights.

However, there were circumstances which not even he was capable of being able to predict. Circumstances which may affect the outcome of the plan, altering the majority of his life all together.

\- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 

Two days later the orphans were split into groups and put into rooms. In each room there were seven cubicles, each of which contained one of the orphans and three puzzles. The instructions were clear:

\- Fill out the form.

\- Answer the questions provided.

\- Complete the puzzles.

\- Press the buzzer when all three are completed and you are satisfied with the outcome.

There was a hint of a frown on the boys face as he stood in front of the items and stared at them. There was no point to this and they had never been given a test before, so why now? At that time, various different reasons snapped through his head. There was a chance the orphanage was under inspection and this was to see how the children were developing. However, there was also a chance that this was just a progress check, to see who needed the extra help. But, there was also a _very_ slim chance they had their suspicions about his previous 'family' and this was a test to see if he was smart enough to pull it off.

That was unlikely.

He sighed as he listed to the sound of pens scratching and puzzles being completed. It was noisy and cramped and untidy. He did not enjoy it. So Beyond set to work, filling out the form and answering the questions in under a minute.

The puzzles were rather simple as well, the first two being completed within two minutes of each other. However, when he reached the third, Beyond stopped and lifted it, staring intently at it. The casing was a transparent egg, inside there was a small glass ball and inside that there was a folded note. There were various different seams and, upon further inspection, Beyond found that a small opening was created if the egg was twisted certain ways.

But none of these were large enough to remove the ball.

With an agitated growl, B lifted the guidelines for this puzzle and re-read them. It was, yet again, simple. Only one line and no clear information or assistance as to what was meant to be done.

\- Get the note.

 _That_ was it. Just that. Three words. _Three pathetic words._

Beyond's eyes narrowed and he sat back, lifting the egg as he stared at it. _There has to be something I'm missing._ But there wasn't, not from what he could see. Ten seconds later, the boy had grown bored with the game and sighed, tipping his head back. He was done. He did not want to play these pathetic games anymore. They could reach their own conclusions as to whether or not he was advanced enough to be here.

He. Was. _Done._

His hand slammed down on the table top, the egg smacking against the table below it. With a satisfying sound the outer shell cracked and shattered, leaving the small glass ball to roll off of the table and onto the floor. But that couldn't escape it's fate either. _Nothing_ could escape Beyond. His foot was brought down quickly on it and the fragile glass was destroyed, leaving only the paper note.

With a grin, he leant down and retrieved the paper, unfolding it carefully to retrieve further instruction.

_**Game Over.** _

_"Bastards."_

The sound of a buzzer flooded the room as his fist came down on the red button, drowning out the sound of the chair being shoved backwards and the door slamming behind him as he left.

If he could not win by playing the game then Beyond would simply create his own.

\- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 

Beyond Birthday did not make it back to his room, finding himself intercepted half way by the matron and an old, feeble looking man who stared too long and spoke too little for Beyond's liking. However, the matron seemed in high spirits, meaning this man probably had something to do with his next departure.

"Look, gramps, if you're here to adopt me, I'm going to have to warn you, I'm a bad luck charm. My family don't tend to survive and I do not intend to go to another household just to end up back in this hell hole." Beyond's gaze swept over him before flashing to the top of his head. "You're pretty old anyway, you could die next week for all I know."

This was a cleverly formulated lie which amused the boy to the highest extent. For Beyond Birthday knew _exactly_ when this man was going to die and it was not any time soon, however, there would now be that seed of doubt within the old man's head as to when he was going to die. That was something Beyond was going to enjoy watching grow.

However, the old man's expression did not change, nor did any sign of worry wash through him. Instead, he simply lowered himself to the boys height and stared at him straight in the eyes.

"You feel like you aren't challenged here and struggle to find people with whom you can hold an intelligent conversation with, correct?"

Beyond blinked. No-one had spoken to him so directly before, nor had they acknowledged his clear mental progression, so to hear this man speak so formally about it took him by surprise.

This was not something Beyond enjoyed.

"You feel like your skills are being wasted, that the path you are meant to go down is being withheld from you and that your abilities are going by recognised. But, what if I could offer you a place where all of those things are available to you and more, Mr Birthday? Would you accept to join me there?"

Finding himself at a loss for words, Beyond's gaze flicked to the top of his head before returning to his face again.

_Who is he?_

This old fool was clearly not like the others and, for a moment, he wondered if perhaps he had the same mental capability as Beyond, if he would be able to match his intelligence. However, that seemed highly unlikely and, the more he considered it, the whole idea just seemed to get less and less realistic. There was no place such as that he was speaking of. This was just a trick to get him to leave and join another orphanage.

"Would I accept? To be taken away to a place I don't want to go just so you can experiment on me and whatever else your feeble, _pathetic_ mind comes up with?"

The words were loaded with a venom he had not expected to show just yet and he could tell by the matron's face that this was unexpected behaviour from the boy. But, of course, she had only known the silent B, she had not yet met the reformed B. _What a surprise this must be._

"Tell me, Quillish, do you often choose your young boys by attempting to bribe them in the middle of an orphanage? Or do you usually offer sweets?"

_"Mr Birthday!"_

But the matron's clear and frantic complaints were lost to the boy. This old man was playing a game he did not know how to win and Beyond was not about to go easy on him, however, he did not seem to mind whatsoever. Nor did he seem surprised that the young boy knew his name without asking.

"I am establishing a new orphanage, Mr Birthday, one I would very much like you to be a part of. I will confirm the details with you when you accept, but there is little you need to know at this stage other than the fact that you will be surrounded by children with intelligence to match your own, who can provide you with enough stimulus to allow you to express yourself completely. You will be challenged daily and your abilities will be tested to their very limits. You will be trained to be the best you can be and when you feel you have nothing more to learn you will be offered a series of suitable careers to your skills and various different options."

_He just won't **shut up.**_

"You will never be put up for adoption unless that is what you truly desire, however, if you are to be entered into our adoption scheme your training will have to stop and you will become just another orphan such as those around you now. However, the moment you accept, you can be taken from this place and you will never have to waste your efforts on things you find insulting to your intelligence."

_The moment you accept._

"And what makes you so certain that I will accept?"

This time, the old man's expression did change, moving into a polite smile that changed him from the slight threat that he was to something much more... human. Beyond did not like it.

"Because, Beyond Birthday, you would never pass up a challenge."

Now _that_ was an answer he could enjoy. As his respect in the man grew slightly, Beyond straightened his posture and held out his hand towards him.

"Quillish Wammy. You have yourself a deal."

And that was how the ten year old boy known as Beyond Birthday became an official resident of Wammy's House Orphanage and how that specific orphanage, unknowingly, welcomed a killer into their midst, providing him with the materials and the resources he needed to become something they would later regret. Something they would wish they had never created. Something they could not destroy.


	11. Chapter 11

When invited to Wammy's House, Beyond did not picture himself being groomed, brushed and clothed just so he could be presented to another boy like a prized pig but that was exactly what was happening.

As soon as the woman responsible for his two hour torture session excused herself, Beyond got to work on fixing what she had done. His hands threaded through his hair, dispelling any hairspray or sense of order within the black flicks of hair, and his shoulders shrugged from the suit jacket that had been fitted to him. He wasn't meant to be held within a suit anyhow and he did not much care for this other boy's critique.

_Let him think what he will and make his decision._

The noose around his neck was loosened to a point that was moderately comfortable as his sleeves were rolled to just above his elbows. The trousers and shoes were something he couldn't, unfortunately, change and so, after one last alteration, he left.

_Go to the courtyard at nine._

Beyond turned up at ten minutes past nine to find a moderately annoyed looking man stood beside Quillish. Roger. That was the name of the easily frustrated, little man. But that was information he could use at another time, now was the time to focus on the other boy stood beside Quillish. His eyes narrowed, not impressed by what was being presented to him.

"Is this it?" He asked, inclining his head towards the boy but aiming his question to Quillish. However, his clear disappointment was met by nothing but a polite smile from Mr. Wammy himself.

"No, this is not your predecessor, B. This is A, the other potential successor in this program."

He was almost relieved. Or at least, he would have been if he had any amount of interest in the seemingly younger male. "There are others?"

"Yes, I am hoping there will be many of you. The continuation of the program will depend entirely on the results we get from the two of you. Myself and Roger will be judging your progress throughout the course of your time here, we will make the decision when we feel we have enough evidence to formulate a precise decision."

"I see. So you're nothing but an old man who likes to entice orphan boys into his lavish home, offering them respite from a life they quite clearly despise, just so you can study them?" His lips pursed in an attempt to restrain the smirk which was threatening to escape. Now was not a time to appear too cocky. "How interesting."

"How dare you talk to Quillish li-"

Beyond turned to fix his gaze on Roger and tilted his head slightly, unimpressed by the male's outburst. It appeared he felt as though he was above Beyond, something which the child would have to fix soon enough. But no matter, dominance was something Beyond was extremely familiar with, something he found easy enough to exert.

"I suggest you fall silent, Mr Ruvie. Your defence will do nothing to aid the man you admire so much. Unless, of course, you'd prefer for me to turn my attention on _you_?"

This time, B _did_ smirk. He couldn't help himself, the look of defiance on the older man's face was amusing enough, but to see it so quickly replaced by one of utter confusion at the casual utterance of his last name, despite such a fact having not been announced just yet, was nearly too much. Perhaps Roger was going to be something Beyond could toy with more often while encased in this prison.

Roger's fists clenched at his side and a sudden look of outrage fixed itself onto his features but that only spurred the child on, his smirk spreading into a complete and frightfully nasty grin.

"Oh? Could it be that you've prepared a comeback? Please, _do_ go on. I'm ever so _enthralled_ to hear the words of wisdom which I'm sure will leave those disgusting lips of yours. I'd seat myself so I could offer you my undivided attention but these floors most likely offer no end of dirt and grime and I would just _hate_ to ruin these lovely trousers miss Tunstale so kindly provided me with."

" _You little brat._ Quillish, I don't see this boy as a worthy contender for the name, I don't think we could do any-"

"Is there a problem, Roger?"

A new voice caused Beyond to turn quickly, his gaze fixing on a boy who appeared to have just rolled himself out of bed, someone who seemed to feel this ordeal was nothing but an inconvenience to him. But Beyond and A seemed the only people who were even slightly surprised by the sudden appearance of this male. In fact, Roger even seemed slightly ashamed to have been speaking in such a manner in front of someone such as himself.

It didn't take long for Beyond to put two and two together. This dishevelled and unimpressive looking boy was to be the man that B succeeded. Although what there was to succeed was still a mystery to Beyond, the only thing the newcomer appeared in need of was a good night's sleep.

"Ah, L, thank you for joining us."

Mr Wammy's voice cut through the tension like a knife, changing the atmosphere to something much more pleasant, something Beyond didn't prefer. But L's gaze did not shift from Roger's face and it was made clear that he would not be satisfied until his enquiry was met with a response. One Roger was, quite clearly, unwilling to give.

But the old man obviously didn't fare well under pressure.

"Good morning, L. Nothing is wrong; I was just discussing with Quillish a matter regarding your successors. Nothing to concern yourself with."

"They are my successors, are they not?"

"They are…"

"Therefore it is a matter in which I should concern myself, correct?"

Roger's head bowed slightly lower but Beyond did not miss the subtle glare he was offered as the older male's head dropped. Beyond's smirk returned.

"Yes, you are correct."

"I'm glad we've cleared that up. From now on, if there is an issue with my successors then I wish to be informed of it, does that sound reasonable to you, Mr Wammy?"

Now and only now was the other man graced with a flash of attention, but this was a different kind of attention. This attention was less harsh and more… respectful. It made Beyond question the relationship the boy and older man had. Quillish did not seem to be the type to adopt a child.

"Yes, it does. After all, you need to be made aware of the progress of our experiment just as much as we do." He smiled kindly at the boy, the lines beside his eyes creasing further. This was obviously an action which he did often.

"Now, regarding your successors," Quillish's hand extended towards me, almost as an indication for Beyond to proceed with introductions. He did not. "This is Be-"

"Beyond Birthday," The black, emotionless pits which appeared to be L's eyes slid over to Beyond's, his expression giving nothing away on how he felt about the matter. "Yes, I am aware. After his parents died, he spent a short amount of time within the custody of his grandmother who quickly surrendered him to a nearby orphanage after claiming to have been too overwhelmed to handle a child at her age. The 'suicide' of the local hamster, which was later proved to be the work of this boy himself, resulted in him being transferred into an orphanage for 'special' children where he then received therapy and his progress was monitored frequently. He was later adopted my Mr and Mrs Thomas who lost their lives after the unfortunate discovery of Mrs Thomas' affair and Mr Thomas' inability to handle the grief of killing his wife. Mr Birthday was then returned to his previous orphanage where you then discovered him."

This boy's knowledge on Beyond unsettled him and he quickly found his eyes narrowing in suspicion. He didn't believe anyone should know that much about him upon the first meeting. Knowledge was dangerous after all.

"That's correct, yes. He scored the highest in the test we administered and his personality suggested he would be a good candidate for the role of your successor."

"I see."

Beyond bristled in anger at the disappointment suggested in the other's tone. _Who is he to decide whether or not you're good enough to succeed him?! Look at him! He can't even turn up on time for the meeting **he's** meant to be the focus of!_

But before he could open his mouth to protest, L's gaze shifted to the boy stood beside Mr Wammy. In truth, even Beyond had forgotten about A's existence at this point, the chosen silence of the younger male making it incredibly easy to let him slip your mind. B made a mental note to watch out for that.

As if reminded about his presence by L's change in attention, Quillish cleared his throat and stepped away from A, gesturing towards him.

"And this is-"

"Alexander Matthews. But you already knew that…" The words made B look up quickly to find L looking back at him again.

Now, for someone to make such a pointed comment towards him was not something which happened often, especially not when that person was seemingly unaware of the ability Beyond had. For that reason, the young killer was set on edge, instantly aware of the possibilities of what L might know about him. But there was no way he could know about his eyes.

Was there?

Just as he was about to question him about what he meant, L moved on, returning his attention to the quiet boy who looked even more lost than usual now that he was out in the open.

"Alexander Matthews. Abandoned by his parents who believed you would have a better life without them. You have no recollection of them, correct?"

A's head shook slowly, obviously in awe of the intelligence of the boy assessing him. _Idiot._

"He was bullied through the entirety of his stay at his first orphanage but was adopted by Mr and Mrs Pine after seven months of residence. They had a daughter called Sally. The two appeared to get on well. However, after a year of staying with them he was left at a new orphanage due to his decision to remain mute the entire time he was with them. He has been mute since and none of his matrons have heard him speak. However, you can speak, can't you?"

"Of course he can speak, Quillish wouldn't have taken hi-"

Roger's words were cut off almost as soon as they had started.

"I am aware of the circumstances, Mr Ruvie, but I would prefer if Alexander could perhaps answer for himself. I believe he has had people speaking for him for long enough, don't you?"

Despite the harsh tone underlying L's words, Beyond had worked out his true motive, although he respected him less for it. He never had held much respect for those who were overly kind.

"Yes, L."

"Good. Now, you can speak, can't you?"

A had begun to nod his head again but L was quick to motion for him to stop.

"If it would not trouble you too much, I would prefer it if you would answer me verbally."

The conflict present on the face of the young boy was nearly too much for Beyond to handle, he was struggling to keep a straight face as it was, but the constant reminder of L's previous comment kept him sober. _What could he have meant?_

After at least two minutes of painful and boring silence, Beyond was close to ripping out the boy's throat, just so he'd have a reason _not_ to speak. But his suffering came to an end at the sudden inhale of breath that sounded through the space.

"I can speak, yes. Although I prefer not to."

_Well. That was unexpected._

"Finally! It speaks!" Beyond groaned, almost relieved that this hell would be over soon. Or at least, he hoped it would. He couldn't take much more of this nonsense.

A cold and bitter look was shot at him from Roger but L stayed fixed on the other successor, his expression unchanging.

"And why is that?"

"I've found people tell you more when you're silent and it's easier to assess a situation if you have very little presence."

"I see…" The dull, monotonous voice of the predecessor trailed off, his thumb lifting to press on his upper lip as he slouched lower, something Beyond didn't think was possible. "Very well. I do require you to speak more often while present here, though. Your silence will not get you anywhere if you are wishing to become my successor."

The silence had returned and L's words were simply met with a curt and understanding nod of his head. But instead of challenging the boy's reluctance this time, L simply moved on, turning his head to look at Mr Wammy.

"I'm done here. Is there anything else?"

"If you don't feel like there is, then no. We will handle assigning them their classes."

"Good."

Beyond was dumbfounded. _That_ was it?! That!?

"Are you _kidding_ me?" B snapped, catching the attention of the other's present. "I was picked at, groomed and sprayed for _hours_ for this? Just so some scruffy, exhausted boy could come and state my past to me, make indirect and vague comments about me and force a boy to speak? _That was it?!_ This has to be some sort of joke."

Although his outburst was something he would regret as soon as he was alone again, Beyond couldn't hold himself back. It seemed ridiculous that someone who called himself L would be able to pass judgement on him. Someone so unremarkable. Someone who wasn't even worth being one of Beyond's victims.

But then, first impressions never did really give much away.

"I am afraid you are mistaken," L's voice forced Beyond to turn his rage entirely on him, although he remained unfazed by it. That only angered him more. "This is no joke. I do not need longer than the time I have allocated to make my decision. You have been judged and my decision has been made."

A low growl vibrated its way through Beyond's chest at the mere sound of his bored voice.

"Oh? And what might that be?" On this occasion, he did not try to hide the hostility towards him. It didn't seem to make a difference if he did or didn't anymore.

"My decision? That you two are plausible candidates for my succession. From now on, you will be referred to by A and B. You will not leave this place without permission, a valid reason and a guard. You will attend the classes assigned to you at the times assigned to you and you will be taught how to utilise the skills you were born with. That is your role here. You will fulfill it."

Seemingly finished with his judgement, L turned his back and began to walk away, his hands in his jeans pockets and his back curved in a slouch. This was not the person Beyond had been expecting to succeed and this was not the person Beyond wanted to work beside. This was the person Beyond wanted to crush with every opportunity he had.

"I'm not done speaking to you!" He called after him, his arms folding over his chest.

L did not turn or even make a move to acknowledge Beyond's words, but his voice carried over the distance easily.

"That may be so, Mr Birthday, but I have finished speaking to you."


	12. Chapter 12

Pacing.

There had been a lot of that these past thirty minutes.

Back and forth. Back and forth. _Back and forth._

The same repetitive motion, again and again, in complete and utter silence. Or at least it would be complete and utter silence if Beyond had been allowed to demolish the clock which continued to tick despite his obvious hatred towards the sound.

Tick. Tock.

_Tick. Tock._

_**Tick. Tock.** _

It was mocking him. It must be mocking him. He had no other explanation for it's incessant need to continue with the sole function it's life depended on. Time keeping. What a meticulous and unfortunate thing to excel in.

The concept of time wasn't something Beyond thoroughly enjoyed anyway. It set him off, you see. If he didn't judge the time correctly it could ruin one of his plans. That man. His 'adopted father'. He didn't keep to _his_ time scale and look at where that got _him._

Dead.

Time had too much power in Beyond's eyes. It was a constant reminder that no matter what you do, time is always moving forward. Someone will die but time won't stop to grieve for the loss of the soul. Time will continue no matter what, even if there's nothing there to mark the passage of time.

So why were they so insistent on stopping him from destroying the clocks?

If there were no clocks there wouldn't be too much difference. Time would still progress. Days would still end. Life would still move forward. Only things would be more free and relaxed. But, at the same time, Beyond couldn't function without time. The idea of his kills or plans not being executed correctly sent a cold shiver down his spine, raising the tiny goosebumps on his arms for the first time in years.

Time.

What an infuriating thing it was.

Finally, Beyond stopped and spun on his heels to face the other presence in the room. A. The silent boy. The one who'd done nothing but watch Beyond walk back and forth over and over again. He didn't even make any noise as he breathed.

"Do you _have_ to do that?" The anger in his tone was evident, although uncalled for. The boy had, technically, not done anything and, by the sudden tilt of his head, it appeared he knew that.

"Oh, come on! That staring thing. All you've done for thirty minutes is _stare_! You've not moved, not fidgeted, not looked around. You've just watched me!"

The lazy shrug of the small male's shoulders angered Beyond more than he cared to admit.

With his fists clenched at his sides, the young killer took a deep breath and composed himself before shaking his head and continuing in his pacing. The children had been told to wait in this particular classroom for their teacher to arrive. The teacher who, Beyond assumed, should have arrived quite a while ago.

Beyond hoped they were dead.

But the sound of a door being pushed, hesitantly, open caused B's head to whip around, a few black strands of hair spattering his cheek. A young man with glasses appeared to be peeking inside but, upon realising that there _were_ actually children inside, his features were replaced with a look of relief.

"I found you!"

 _This_ was the person they had sent to instruct them? To teach them to hone their abilities? _This_ thing?! Beyond's anger rose to the surface again but he quickly buried it and grinned, walking forward to meet the teacher before he entered too much into the room.

"Mr Oakland I presume?"

A small hand was extended towards the, clearly very disorganised, man as his smile grew even further. This was obviously an unexpected gesture and the poor, flustered fool soon dropped various papers and a bag in his quick attempt to shake the hand offered to him. However, it wasn't until a nervous, shaky hand had pushed up and repositioned his glasses that he decided to speak.

"Ah! Yes. That's me. I wasn't aware that you had been informed of my name! How interesting."

Beyond nodded eagerly.

"Oh yes, I know more than you'd think."

B found himself biting back a small chuckle at that because that fact was actually rather true. At first glance, Beyond _did_ know more about him than the man did himself. After all, one doesn't just happen to know the date their going to die.

"Well, I don't have a reason to complain. I guess that makes things easier on me then do-"

"How many figures of pi can you recite?"

The sudden interruption clearly through him off guard and Beyond smirked as he found himself watch the 'teacher' flounder for an appropriate answer.

"Erm... excuse me?"

_Oh how I **loath** having to repeat myself to morons._

"Pi. The mathematical number? How many figures can you recite off-by-heart?"

There was an evidently confused blink before his mouth opened again. "Three point one four one five nine?"

Beyond sighed.

"That didn't answer the question I asked. Had I asked you to recite pi then you would have been correct, I simply asked how many. Try again."

"I can recite it to five decimal places. Why is this important?"

"I can recite it to around one million digits by memory. That's two hundred _thousand_ times more than the amount you can remember."

Another confused blink was offered to the conversation in place of a response. It was met with another, rather frustrated, sigh.

"Are you incapable of grasping what it is that I'm implying, Mr Oakland? Your intelligence is nowhere near equal to mine. Whether or not it is equal to little A over there is something I am unaware of as, it appears, the young fool refuses to utter a word in my presence. However, it does not match mine, therefore how do you suppose you are capable and suitable to teach us to a level which might even be considered moderately useful?"

Beyond's question was met with silence - apart from that incessant ticking, of course - as the man's brain attempted to process the information which had just been supplied to him.

_He's that slow he hasn't even figured out you've insulted him yet._

However, that was short-lived and the moment his brain caught up, his features were creased slightly in a mixture of surprise and anger. But, Beyond wasn't going to allow him to feel as though he had any right to shout at him because, quite frankly, that would be more foolish than the apparent 'teacher' stood in front of him.

A small hand was lifted to silence the voice of the adult that was threatening to escape. His polite smile returned.

"For your own safety and for my own sanity, I suggest you collect those papers you have strewn across this space, pick up your bag, and leave. You will have no positive contribution to either of our lives, therefore this would just be a waste of our time."

When he made no move to leave, obviously perplexed by what was happening here, Beyond dropped the smile and lowered his voice so A wouldn't be able to hear.

"If you're not gone in the next thirty seconds, I'm going to kill you where you stand. You're going to lie and say that you don't have anything to teach us that we don't already know. You're going to mention nothing of our encounter and you're just going to leave quietly. Do you understand?"

There was a light nod of a bespectacled head.

"Good. Now, if I find out that you have lied to me, I will find you. Don't take that lightly." The quiet voice lifted to a higher and happier volume as his smile returned. "It's been a pleasure meeting you, Mr Oakland. I'm sure you'll have such a _wonderful_ life."

He turned his back and sauntered over to one of the desks, perching on the table just in time to see the quickly retreating back of poor Mr Oakland. However, when he turned his attention back to A, there was an obvious question being displayed on the small boy's features.

_**What just happened?** _

This was just met with a small lift and fall of Beyond's slender shoulders and a small smile. "What can I say? He just wasn't cut out for the job."

A was an intelligent child, just like Beyond, so B had no doubt that he would fall for that obvious lie for one second. However he internally hoped he was smart enough not to push it any further. A wasn't a worthy third victim, after all.

Clearly he _was_ smart enough since Beyond was just met with another question. Although, this one was technically more of a statement, the question behind the five words was clear.

_**We weren't told his name.** _

Beyond tapped the side of his nose and grinned. "Perhaps _you_ weren't, but I have my sources."

_Oh, if only he knew how true that was._


	13. Chapter 13

The soft sound of piano notes escaped down the hall, their sound as desperate to leave this place as Beyond was. It had only been a week and he was bored. No. Bored was an understatement. He was... Unsatisfied.

Having been led to believe that he was here to learn how to be a successor for the 'world's greatest detective', Beyond had expected a lot more from the people in attendance and, after finding himself with an optionally mute boy for company, his expectations had fallen short.

_Incredibly_ so.

However, that did not mean that, on the odd occasion, he couldn't slip away from his classes and training exercises and tests and meetings for just an hour to do something he partially enjoyed. No, that wasn't the right word, for Beyond considered very little things _enjoyable_ nowadays, especially not when confined within the walls of this prison.

It was during his 'free' time that Beyond had his next run-in with his predecessor. An encounter he truly didn't wish for, nor did he deem necessary and, after having not seen the male for the entirety of his stay here, Beyond did not see his presence at all needed. Yet there he was, slouched against the door frame, watching Beyond play.

Beyond allowed the silence to remain for a few moments before addressing the intruder, not bothering to look up from or halt his playing.

"You know, if you continue to watch me like that I'm going to start to get the wrong impression. In fact, I've already begun to question as to whether or not this place truly is an institute for geniuses or if it is simply a clever way for you all to obtain young boys who meet your fancy."

He didn't raise his eyes at all yet he could sense the sudden shift in attention. It had changed from idle watching to something much more consistent. Something more... amused.

"Yes, I could see why you might reach that conclusion, after all I have no evidence to prove to you my continuity regarding the reason we have you here, nor do I intend to provide you with any. Although I can assure you that I do not intend to make any move upon you, in fact even the mere thought of it makes me internally cringe."

_"Charming."_ The music stopped abruptly and Beyond rose to his feet, glaring in the direction of the ridiculous boy. Upon further analysis, B came to the realisation that there couldn't be anymore than a five year age gap between them and that, although younger, he wasn't too far from the "detective's" current height. It was nearly pathetic. "But that still doesn't explain why you're stood there."

"I came to practice. I have my own in my quarters usually," L gestured towards the piano with a slight inclination of his head. "However I have had to have it sent to be cleaned after a recent accidental spil-"

"This may come as a surprise to you, but I genuinely don't care."

However, that wasn't entirely true. There were, of course, some physical similarities between himself and the other ones which, if possible, he would like to avoid considering. It was then that the child decided he would find a way to distance himself as the other's "clone", handling matters in his own way no matter what his teachings were. If the genius played piano, then Beyond wouldn't. If he kept his hair long, Beyond would have his shorter. If L insisted on being 'good', Beyond would simply have to be 'bad'.

"B?"

The sudden use of his letter, brought him back to reality, a sudden blink forcing him to focus entirely on him.

"Beyond. B is... ridiculous."

"Ridiculous, but necessary. Your identity is something which needs to be p-"

Beyond's hand rose to stop him talking, clearly unimpressed. "I _don't_ care."

"Fine. I had asked if you were going to continue your piano studies in your musical lessons."

The fact that the older male was capable of remaining calm no matter what was said or thrown at him infuriated Beyond. It was almost as though he was dealing with an android, devoid of emotion or human response. _Infuriating bastard._

"No. I don't enjoy piano. I may try my hand at violin." _I refuse to allow **you** to be a copy of **him**. **You** are better than him. He should be succeeding you, not the other way around. Make him realise that. Hurt him. **Kill him.**_

With a little difficulty, Beyond shut the voice out and pushed his way past L, making his way down the hall while trying not to picture the smug look on the fools face. He did not feel the need to inform the detective of the fact that, in reality, he favoured the piano over almost all other instruments, he simply did not want to succumb to yet another similarity between the two.

If the male was as smart as he claimed to be, however, he would figure it out within no time at all.

"By the way, B..."

Beyond stopped and growled, already despising the fact that he still insisted on using that ridiculous alias. However, he didn't turn to face him, nor didn't he speak. He did not deem the older boy important enough.

"We are to have another join our midst shortly. I expect you to treat her the same way you treat everyone else here."

Without a sound, word or motion of acknowledgement, Beyond continued walking, allowing time for his mind to digest the information which had been supplied to him.

_So you are to get a new toy? A female as well. Perhaps she'll be weaker and easily manipulated. Or perhaps she'll be smarter and see right through your tricks. I suggest planning ahead, if you are to make any sort of lasting impression on the poor vict- I mean, girl. Wouldn't want her to look down on you now, would we?_

Beyond shook his head, answering the voice no-one else could hear.

_Good boy. Get to work. You shall not sleep until you have done something of satisfying. Go, try. Try to defy me. **Try.**_

But Beyond didn't, he knew better than to go against himself and, as the door to his room swung shut behind him and his back hit his be, Beyond began to contemplate the creation of the voice. The voice which had been getting more and more powerful every since that first droplet of human blood had been spilled on the floor of his adoptive 'parents' floor.

It was fueled by his desires.

Empowered by his destruction.

Encouraged by his hatred.

An embodiment of his insanity growing stronger every day, to the extent that he was unsure as to how long he'd be able to control it if it were to gain any more control.

As if to remind little Beyond of it's presence, the voice rung out loud and clear in his mind, removing any ability he may have had to hold a train of thought.

_This doesn't feel like progression. You need to progress. If you don't progress you're going to lose and that is not an option. Understand? **Do you understand?!**_

With a hand pressed to his head, Beyond rolled from his bed and stood. His recklessness had been reinstated - or forced upon him again - making it entirely impossible for him to relax and forcing him into making plans.


	14. Chapter 14

Free time and boredom.

That's what a lot of Beyond's days consisted of now-a-days.

Not that he was meant to have free time, in fact he was currently scheduled to be sat in quantum physics and yet, here he was, wandering the halls and hating every moment of it. It was still better than that god awful class, though.

Although L had informed them all of the apparent and inevitable introduction of the newcomer, Beyond was still yet to actually see her. They were all called to the courtyard for the same introductory phase that they had both been greeted with upon arrival, yet it was all for naught. There was no girl. There was simply an empty file with no name, no alias, no image and no information. For all Beyond knew, she could have just been a test from L to see how A and Beyond would react to the idea of a stranger within their midst.

It goes without saying that the small killer was less than pleased with the unnecessary waste of his time. However, it was during his time pacing the halls, while trying to avoid the ever searching Roger, that Beyond encountered something not even he could have expected.

The sudden intrusion of a small black gem dropping from the ceiling above him, forced the slightly irritated boy to stop in his tracks and glare at the floor. There was no reason for it to be there, yet there it was. A small, black, shiny gem which just happened to appear in the air above him and fall directly in front of him, nearly catching him in the face in the process.

It was while bending to lift the gem (accompanied by a barely audible frustrated sigh) that Beyond was informed of another's presence. A voice which, although quiet and uncaring, wasn't all too pleased with him trying to pick up the stone.

"Don't touch that. That's mine."

Beyond actually stopped, questioning whether the voice was real or simply a figment of his imagination again. But, after thinking it through, he reached the conclusion that the voice had to be real however, who the name belonged to was something left to be questioned. It most definitely wasn't L. Nor was it A (even if he didn't speak all that often). There was no way in hell it was Quillish or Roger, or any of the teachers for that matter. The voice was too young and... high for any of those. And why was it above him?

Taking a deep breath, Beyond reached down and picked up the stone, running his thumb over it repeatedly to test it's surface.

"I told you not to pick that up."

 _Annoyance._ That was that voice had now. Annoyance and indifference.

"And I didn't listen."

The curtness in his voice was cut short when he finally looked up and saw who he was dealing with. A small girl. Dark brown hair, grey eyes, freckles. Nothing special yet something different at the same time. A small girl who didn't look happy and who happened to be lying across one of the rafters above him.

"Don't you think it's a little too dangerous for someone like you to be up there?"

This roused a tut and a roll of the grey eyes before they fell onto him again.

"Don't make me laugh. You're more likely to trip over your own feet while stood still than I am to fall. Now. That's my stone and I want it back."

Beyond blinked. He wasn't used to being spoken to so... _frankly._ Not since his departure from Annabelle and her blunt ways. But it didn't surprise him enough to loosen his grip on the smooth stone, nor did it compel him to give it up to her. He didn't have the answers he wanted just yet.

"I guess you'll just have to ask nicely then, won't you?"

"No. Because if you take that it'll only make you a thief, and theft is against the law which is not what you're here for. You're here to be good, not break the law."

Beyond laughed, his head shaking lightly in pity for how little she knew.

"Oh, sweetheart, you really don't know me at all."

There was a pause and a light shuffling sound, causing B to refocus his attention on her. He found her now lying on her front, her right arm dangling in the air below her while she stared at him. It was only a small movement but effective and probably purposeful.

"I don't truly want to either." Her hand extended towards him, fingers together, palm flat. "My stone."

With a quiet and short laugh, Beyond threw the stone up to her and watched as it rose just out of her reach. What he didn't expect, however, was for the small being to launch herself from the beam, catch the stone and swing up onto the beam behind him. Without any contact with the floor at all.

" _Thank_ you."

Beyond turned to face her, raising an eyebrow when he found her sat up and kicking her legs, quite obviously happy with herself.

"You're quicker than I expected."

"And you're dumber than I expected."

 _Small, blunt and harsh._ Not at all what he had expected. His eyes dropped from her face to the stone being thrown up and down in the air repeatedly.

"What's so important about that stone anyway?"

"Don't you have somewhere to be? Somewhere less irritating for me?"

"Darlin', if I had anywhere to be I'd be there. I wouldn't waste my time on someone like you."

"Yet here you are, doing just that."

Beyond's shoulders lifted and fell in a lazy shrug. "My other toys have become boring."

"Only children play with toys."

"Oh, you're right. It's _much_ more grown up to play with stones..."

_Silence._

Blissful and wonderful silence.

Blissful, wonderful and short-lived silence.

"It's my _'thing'_."

That made no sense to the small killer and actually managed to bring about a light and moderately puzzled frown. Something he wasn't entirely pleased with. Neither was she by the looks of it.

"A 'thing'. You know? We all have one apparently. L likes sweets. The timid guy doesn't talk. You like to play with people although you try to play your thing off as liking jam..."

Yet again, Beyond blinked. _This_ wasn't how he had expected this encounter to go _at all_. The small, fragile-looking stranger already seemed to know quite a lot about himself and the others, yet he knew _nothing_ about her.

"How do you know that?"

"How do you think? I don't just sit up here because I like spiders?"

"You like spiders?"

"It amazes me you're being considered as a successor if _that's_ the thing you picked up from that."

Beyond huffed and folded his arms across his chest. "Alright. So you watch people. Why?"

"Why not?"

"Because it's not what you're meant to be doing."

"Talking to me isn't what you're meant to be doing. Yet here you are. Skipping class and trying to deduce a stranger you know nothing about."

 _Not nothing._ He knew two things. One thing in particular she probably didn't even know herself. It had just taken him a while to realise that.

" _Ah_ , but you're not me. You _should_ be being a good little girl and attending classes, _shouldn't_ you Taylor? Or should I call you T?"

This time it was her turn to falter. In fact, it was a much bigger falter than Beyond could have ever wished for. Something which led her to lean too far back and very nearly fall from the rafter onto the floor in front of him.

Nearly, but not quite.

_Next time._

Again there was silence. But this time it was due to the girl trying to figure out how he'd know that just by looking at her. Not that she'd ever guess how. It wasn't exactly something that was common knowledge, after all.

"How did you know that?"

"Now _that_ would be telling and where would be the fun in that?" The grin that found it's way onto Beyond's face was both cruel and satisfied. The frown that found it's way onto Taylor's face, however, was both frustrated and confused.

" _Tell me_." she demanded.

"Tell me why you're up there instead of in classes. We all had to stand outside for _two hours_ waiting for you to turn up on your initiation day."

"I know, I used the time to explore this place undisturbed."

" _That_ wasn't what I asked."

"I never said it was." Yet, despite the stubbornness in her voice, a clearly defeated sigh indicated to Beyond that he had, yet again, won. "I don't have a reason to go to class. Yourself and timid gu-"

"A."

" _A_ , aren't who I'm here for. I don't care about you nor do I want to spend any amount of time with you."

"So instead you hide up in the rafters to avoid having to talk to us? How _sweet_. Who is it that you are here for then?"

"Answer my question first."

"No."

Yet another sigh and a small show of resentment as she kicked her legs out. "I don't see why it's any of your business."

"I don't see why how I know your name is any of yours."

"It's _my_ name."

"Yes, and it's _my_ knowledge."

"I _deserve_ to know."

"You _deserve_ to be smacked." Beyond hissed back, already getting irritated by her stubbornness and refusal to agree to his terms. With a quiet growl, Beyond turned his back on her and started to walk away. " _Fine_ , you don't want to tell me, then don't tell me. I'll see you around."

"Wait! You didn't answer my question!"

But Beyond didn't wait, nor did he care for that matter about the desperation in her voice. No matter how much she begged and pleaded, he wouldn't tell her. She didn't need to know about his eyes, nor did she need to know about anything else about his life.

"And I'm not going to." _But I am going to tell L about the missing successor hiding in the rafters. Then we'll see how stubborn she can be when she's forced to go to classes._

He was sure she had shouted something else after him, but he was beyond the point of caring now, instead finding himself feeling rather indifferent towards the whole thing. In the end, she hadn't been the interesting toy he had hoped for. In fact, she was more disappointing and disposable than the boring mute he was already stuck with. If she was lucky, he'd give her a quick death. People like that often knew too much and said too little. And that wasn't something Beyond particularly enjoyed.

_Silly girl. She doesn't know what she's done. But we'll show her not to piss us off. If she's the new toy you were told about then you could break her in no time. Silly, **silly** girl. ___

__However, in years to come, Beyond would find himself wishing he could return to this exact moment. To completely rewrite it and change how it ended. Wishing, with brutal desperation that he could change even the smallest event to produce a different outcome than what was coming. But, unable to change the past, Beyond would find himself living in a world of regret and self-loathing. Desperate for his time to end. Because this was the start of something not even he could have predicted._ _

___This_ was the start of something awful._ _

__If only he had known._ _


	15. Chapter 15

"And you're telling me this because…?"

Why Beyond had thought coming to L would be a good idea was completely beyond him now. Instead of the shocked or grateful reply he had expected, he was met with nothing but irritation at the fact his work had been interrupted.

"Because she's _your_ successor."

"And?"

_And?! What more do you need?!_

" _And_ she's not been going to her classes, meaning she might never be on a high enough level to succeed you if we fail."

"Do you intend to fail?"

 _Yes._ "No, but that's not my point. My point is she's missing the classes to hide out in the rafters."

"You miss classes all the time. Why is this issue any different?"

"…"

Beyond glowered at the male in front of him. He was crouched in an arm chair, arranging what looked like M&M's into colours as they spoke. If anyone ever saw him, they wouldn't think he was considered the World's Greatest Detective at all.

"I believe the real problem here, BB, is that you're annoyed that you are not the only one breaking the rules anymore. Or perhaps it's simply for the fact that you've realised she is achieving something you have been unable to, as of yet."

"And what would that be?"

"Complete anonymity."

If he didn't know any better, the young killer would have been convinced that L was mocking him.

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"I don't believe that. If you had no idea you wouldn't be here in the first place. Am I correct, BB?"

"Stop calling me that. My name is Beyond. I am not a letter."

"No, you are two."

_Was that... humour?_

The sound of the grandfather clock _tick-tocking_ was the only sound that filled the room at that moment. Beyond was barely managing to hold it together; his urge to reach forward and snap the other's neck increasing to dangerous levels every second.

_Go on. Just do it. You don't want to be here anyway. Kill the boy and leave. No-one would blame you._

"No."

L's gaze remained steady and his expression stayed unchanging as he stared at Beyond.

"No?"

"You're wrong." _People would blame me. I wouldn't be able to leave._

"I am? How unusual."

This brought Beyond Birthday back to his senses and his eyes narrowed as he realised L believed all of this was about him.

_You hate him._

"Yes."

"Oh? Please, tell me how so. I would like to hear your evidence for such a claim."

"I don't care about her anonymity. I simply don't want to have someone who is meant to be a better version of myself to be weak or uneducated. That would be an insult to my name."

"But that is not an issue."

_He always has an answer for everything. I know how you can shut him up._

"How?"

"Because, BB, she is not _your_ back-up. _You_ are _my_ back-up. You all are."

White noise.

That was what was filling the air at that exact moment.

White noise.

There was no moment where Beyond could think, there was nothing inviting him to reach a conclusion about what had been said, there was only white noise.

And that was when he heard it. The small voice which was slowly increasing in volume as it repeated the words "back-up" in his mind, over and over again.

Back-up.

_Back-up._

_**Back-up!** _

_**BACK-UP!** _

Over and over and over and over and over.

For anyone else, the situation would be uncomfortable upon reaching the realisation that Beyond was incapable of responding. But not L. No, L just remained in his ridiculous crouched position, with the same ridiculous expression on his face, with the same air of disappointment that he always possessed – waiting. That's what he was doing. Waiting.

_You can make him disappear._

"How?"

Whether it was the lack of volume that accompanied Beyond's voice or the fact that he had simply repeated the same word as previously said was unknown, but it caused L to shift and release a heavy sigh of disappointment. Almost as though his expectations had not been met.

_Not here. Not now._

"You have already asked that question, BB, and I have already answered it. If you have nothing else to discuss, I would like to return to my work now."

The pointed look towards the door through which Beyond had entered was enough of a hint for the young murderer to realise he was being asked to leave. It was also not going to be something he didn't accept. Beyond wanted to get out and he wanted to do it now and, luckily for him, L had just given him the perfect reason to.

"If you don't deal with her, L, I will."

"As I have no doubt you will."

Beyond nodded and turned to leave, more than happy to get out of the infuriating situations L managed to make. However, it appeared L wasn't quite done since as soon as Beyond reached the door, L's voice caused him to stop in his tracks, yet again.

"Beyond?"

He did not turn to face the other, despite his name being called.

"Yes?"

"What do you see?"

Beyond glanced over his shoulder at L and blinked; his expression unchanging despite the odd question. However, he knew exactly what he was asking.

"I don't think it's time for me to share that information, Lawliet. Maybe next time."

He didn't stay around for further questioning, or even to relish in the undoubtedly shocked expression which would have formed on L's face at that exact moment. No. Instead Beyond made his way outside, through the courtyard and up to the front gate where he stood and glared.

There was always something blocking his way.

_It's an electric code lock. You know how to figure that out. All it'd take would be a few moments and you could be free._

But where would he go once he was outside?

He couldn't go anywhere too public in case the Police found him and sent him back to another orphanage. He couldn't go anywhere predictable in case Wammys actually sent someone out to bring him back. But he couldn't go anywhere deserted either. Boredom was not something he dealt with very well. So where?

_People are going to die today. If you went outside you could find one of them and give them a little push. You know you want to. It'd get rid of the desire burning inside of you too. Perhaps you'd be able to deal with L better if you were to relieve yourself from that urge. You don't want to appear foolish twice, do you?_

"No."

Beyond swiftly moved to the keypad on the right wall beside the gate and stared at it for a moment.

"There are at least ten thousand possible combinations if I include the possibility for repeated numbers… ten thousand possible combinations. Perhaps the founding year? But what would that be? They wouldn't use the year myself and A joined because Wammy's was here before then. So maybe when L joined which, judging by his age could be anywhere in the past fifteen years."

Beyond shut his eyes and sighed.

"No, that isn't right. There are too many choices for that to be their option. And there doesn't appear to be any consequences for entering the wrong number multiple times. So it has to be something different. Something people wouldn't just assume."

His eyes opened again and he refocused on the pad.

"There has to be _something_ to give it away." he muttered as he brushed his fingers across the keys.

_Wait._

Beyond halted, his hand hovering an inch above the number seven.

_Go back to three._

He did as the voice asked; placing his finger on the number without any real understanding as to why.

_Do you feel it?_

"No."

_Stupid boy. Move to two._

He did as instructed and grinned. He _did_ feel it.

"The buttons most frequently pressed have a slight indent from the natural acids found on their fingers! All I have to do is find the most indented and go from there. So first, I have to find out which ones _are_ indented…"

_Three…_

He moved his fingers over the other keys, frowning softly.

_Five…_

Of course, it wasn't going to be easy to judge the difference in indentation.

_Six…_

But it wasn't going to be impossible either. All he had to do was find the last key-

_Nine! Three, five, six and nine. Those are your numbers. Now the combination._

It took him a lot less time than he had anticipated and, in no time, Beyond had entered the code – 9635. He stepped back upon hearing the quiet squeak of the gates beginning to roll aside and watched as his desires began to become a reality.

_Soon you will be able to beat him. Soon you will be able to surpass L._

"Surpass L, huh?"

Still grinning, Beyond took the step over the threshold into freedom and took a moment to look around.

"I like the sound of that."


	16. Chapter 16

Within a few minutes Beyond found himself surrounded by people, none of which seemed particularly interesting. There wasn't anything special about the place, nor was he entirely sure why he'd ended up there and yet... somehow it felt important - like something _big_ was going to happen here. 

Beyond closed his eyes and took a deep breath in. The bitter smell of diesel mingled with a faint scent of sweat, adrenaline and pollution. Nothing smelled fresh anymore. It was surprisingly disappointing. 

"What now?"

_Now we look around and pick our next victim. There are hundreds of people here right now. One of them is going to come to an end today._

"But who..." 

Beyond sucked on his canine as he looked around the multitude of people. Surprisingly, no-one paid attention to the ten year old boy who was seemingly on his own in the middle of a high street but perhaps they just didn't want to get involved in something they didn't have to. Not when they all had so long left to life... it was infuriating. 

Out of all of these people was there honestly not a single one of them waiting to die today? 

_No._

But there might be two. 

Beyond's eyes locked on to his victims, assessing the potential risk they posed to him. A woman and young child. Mother and daughter, perhaps? Older and younger sisters? It didn't matter. Their gravestones would be side by side either way... Or perhaps there would be only one... perhaps they would share the same space. 

The young murderer found himself uncaring.

He didn't bother to look before crossing the road. He was finished with waiting for things to happen - for moments which _allowed_ for him to do as he pleased. From now on the world would bend to his will and there was nothing which could get in the way. So when the car horn blared and the brakes screamed in panic, Beyond didn't flinch or look away from his target; his mind was too occupied with planning. 

How would he do it?

What would he aim for?

How would he hide it? 

Was this going to be possible? 

It would be. He'd make it so it was. He'd been waiting for far too long - been behaving for too many months to let this be taken from him now. Even if that meant a quick getaway. 

But what approach would he take?

Simple. He was granted youth for a reason so he would use it as he pleased.

Beyond turned on the waterworks and started sniffling - the perfect source of sympathy. To the normal, human eye, he would have looked like a scared and alone child out in the world when perhaps he shouldn't be. However, to you or I who have read through this story and understand just what a monster this boy was, the subtle glint of disgust and resentment would have been perfectly visible and the murderous threat rolling from the child would have been thicker than the air we breathe. 

But these two innocents did not previously know Beyond, nor were they given the opportunity to read his history before their encounter and so, as much as I would wish for it not to be true, their paths crossed and they were drawn in by the fake tears rolling down the soft cheeks. 

"E-excuse me. I-I can-can't find my-" A sniffle interrupted his attempts to speak, simply deepening the pity the woman already felt for the child. "my mummy or daddy. I lef-left the shop and they w-we-weren't there anymore." 

Like a moth drawn to a flame, the woman crouched before him and smiled sweetly, completely taken with the killer's act. 

"Oh you poor thing! Do you know where they might be? Would you like me to take you there?" 

The small girl who had previously been hiding behind her mother, believing in the protection the slightly taller human offered, suddenly found a new wave of confidence and stepped forward, deciding it was entirely appropriate for her to make herself known to the similar child. 

"Don't cry! Mummy will help you! Mummy can do anything, right mummy?" 

The woman nodded kindly and held out a hand for Beyond to take. 

"Come on, sweetheart. We'll walk you home, okay? Do you know your way home?"

Beyond nodded. The tears stopping almost too quickly but the smile which replaced it was clearly enough to cease the woman's concerns. 

"Thank you. You're a nice lady." 

_Which is why she will be easy to kill._

Beyond's smile spread into a grin as he slipped his smaller hand into her outstretched one, his fingers tightening around her own to express the ruse of fear. It was only as they approached a seemingly harmless alleyway that he released her, rushing ahead a few steps before turning to face her and pointing down into the shadows.

"This way is a short cut. Daddy takes me down here all the time!" 

The excitement in his voice had perhaps stemmed a few concerns within the woman's simple head but Beyond did not care to consider that. He was _so close_ to achieving what he wanted and he was not going to allow anything to change that. 

"Okay, sweetie. As long as you're sure." 

Beyond nodded enthusiastically before disappearing a few steps ahead. He could sense the child pulling slightly closer to her mother as she sensed something wasn't right - whether it be the seemingly encroaching shadows or the bloodthirsty feel the boy was suddenly emitting that worried her, Beyond didn't know. All he knew was that he was about to get away with murder. 

Literally. 

He stopped to stare at the brick wall in front of him, the grin growing ever wider as he heard the pair of footsteps draw to a stop as well. 

_The mother or the child first?_

"Oh. You must have gotten confused. It looks like this is a dead end. Let's go back and carry on, it must be around here somewhere." 

"No. This is it." 

Any childishness had dropped from Beyond's voice now, instead being replaced with the sinister, dangerous tones more commonly associated with him. He could feel their confusion. He _relished_ in it. 

"I must say though, you have been disappointingly easy to fool. But perhaps you let your motherly instinct overlook that little voice of survival I know must exist in the back of that small mind of yours." 

He turned to face the pair, smiling at their clear lack of understanding. 

"But to endanger your poor daughter so carelessly as well..." Beyond tutted, his head shaking in disappointment. "I expected better of you." 

"Mummy...?" 

The woman drew her child closer to her, one hand on the side of her head, the other around her shoulders as she pressed her tightly against herself. 

"Quiet, sweetheart." 

"Yes, Bella. Listen to your mother. We don't have time for your pointless ramblings now." 

"How..." 

"How what? How did I know her name? You took such care not to include it anywhere, after all. A smart move considering the amount of pedophiles out there nowadays, but that doesn't stop me. You see, Margery, it's all in the eyes." 

_Two minutes for the mother. Four for the daughter. Get moving._

"I don't need to. I have all the time in the world." 

"Excuse me?" 

Beyond raised a finger to his mouth to silence her, his eyes narrowing at the interruption. 

"Quiet, woman. Don't set a bad example for your poor daughter." 

He took a deep breath and expelled it again, his hands slipping into his pockets as he assessed them both. They were pathetic really, but they offered the possibility of a fight if it came to it. 

"Now. Let me explain what's going to happen. In about fifty seconds, I am going to move forward and slit your throat, cutting both the internal and external jugulars and killing you from blood loss in approximately thirty to forty seconds." 

The woman gasped but, again, Beyond raised his finger, the knife now clasped in his hand adding an extra threat to the command. 

"I am then going to kill your daughter with a stab from behind, straight into her little lungs - halting the scream she will undoubtedly attempt to release by the sudden inclusion of blood. She will then die beside you a minute or two after. It will be slow and it will hurt her, but you should take comfort in knowing that you won't have to experience it due to your inevitable status of being dead." 

Beyond smiled and dropped his hands to his sides. 

"Now, any questions?" 

The mother opened her mouth to speak but Beyond was in front of her before any words could form. His blade slit through her skin as though it were butter and her lifeless body dropped to the floor a few seconds later. However, the girl was smarter than her mother had been and had decided to try to run as soon as she saw Beyond move. 

That wasn't the plan.

Beyond did not intend to tolerate it. 

Without faltering, he set of running after her before her mother had even hit the ground. The entrance to the alleyway was close now and Beyond could see the hope in the child as her stride increased slightly along with the opening of her mouth. However, no sound managed to escape the lips of the six year old. No. Instead, blood rushed to the surface, forcing it way up her throat and past her tongue eventually taking flight into the air as she coughed. 

But none of that was visible to any of the oblivious shoppers due to the simple fact that Beyond had pulled the girl back from view the moment his knife had entered her soft, previously unmarked skin. The girl was then dragged and placed beside her mother's corpse as she died, her last memories being filled with Beyond wiping the blood from his knife onto her mother's shirt. 

Her mother's favourite shirt. 

Father was going to be angry. 

Beyond looked over the two, both now lying completely still in seemingly perfect peace, and sighed. He was entirely content with life at this moment in time and the fact that he still had to return to the orphanage did not phase him in the slightest. 

_But do you have to return?_

"If I don't I will be collected by another orphanage and the process will have to completely restart." 

_Not if you stayed in the shadows._

"I don't want to be inconspicuous anymore. I want to make my mark on the world. I want to surpass L."

_And you will. But that won't happen at that orphanage._

"Perhaps not. But it will happen." 

_And what about your scene here?_

"It will be difficult to clean given how public it is, but I specifically chose one with the large bins for that very reason. If I am able to cut them into smaller pieces, perhaps I can store them inside the black bags already inside. They will remain unnoticed until the collection day at least and by then I will be long gone." 

_Unless you don't clean the scene..._

"... And why would I do that? I would be leaving evidence." 

_You would be leaving a message._

"I would be caught." 

_No. You wouldn't._

"What would I have to do?"

_Simply set up the scene and wait. You can remove your fingerprints and leave. That will be it._

"A message..." 

Beyond moved quickly but methodically, making sure not to make any mistakes in what he was doing. Covering his hands with his sleeves, Beyond positioned the bodies until he was happy, stretching out both of their left arms and turning their heads so they were looking at the far wall. They had to draw attention. They had to indicate to where he wanted. They had to make a statement. 

Next was the hard part. 

There was not much which could spread blood in the alleyway, nor did Beyond simply carry that sort of equipment on him in this early stage of his life. However, it was not difficult to find a wad of tissue from inside one of the bins (something Beyond did not particularly want to discuss again) and dip it into the pool of blood forming from both mother and child. 

It wasn't quick work but it was expertly done. The fingerprints were removed. The bodies were positioned. The message was written. The blood dripped down the walls, joining the large letters in thin lines. But not everything could be perfect, much to Beyond's annoyance. 

_Are you proud now, L?_

A question for the world to see. A consequence of L's work. His standards for accepting cases would be dismissed thanks to the direct challenge. There would be outrage across the world were he not to accept.

And so Beyond would become a case. A case L would be unable to solve because he would have no direct evidence.

Not yet anyway.

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The gate hadn't even closed behind him before that familiar and yet still annoying voice pierced his silence. 

"You left." 

She was in a tree this time, leaning against the trunk as she watched him. _Always up high._

He didn't engage her, instead choosing to simply carry on walking. Perhaps if he ignored her she would go away.

He was wrong. 

She dropped down from her place in the branches and quickly fell into step beside him, blatantly staring at him. He did not make eye contact. He didn't even acknowledge her existence. He didn't have time for her. 

"You're not meant to leave, you know that right?"

Silence. 

If she was met with silence she may stop talking altogether. 

"There's blood on your neck, you know." 

Beyond's hand instinctively rose to cover the spot she indicated, his mind working quickly to decide when it could have gotten there. 

"I scratched myself while I was out." 

"I don't see any wound." 

"I heal quickly." 

"Liar." 

Silence. 

His hand dropped and he turned right, quickening his steps. It bothered him that it was there. It was... _unclean._

"Why did you go outside?" 

"Why wouldn't I?" 

"Well what did you do?" 

Beyond stopped suddenly and turned to face her, stopping a few inches away from her face as he glared. 

"What I do is none of your bloody business and you'd be wise to remember that. You have no right to ask me questions. You have no right to talk to me. You have no right to even _look_ at me. So how about you do us all a favour and piss off back to your rafters?" 

Her reaction wasn't quite what he had expected... or wanted for that matter. Instead of looking startled or scared she simply looked... bored? Bored and indifferent. With an obvious sigh, Taylor crossed her arms over her chest and tipped her head to the side. 

"Are you done trying to be threatening? Because it's really not working for you." 

"......"

Beyond couldn't believe it. The arrogance! The nerve! Didn't she know who she was talking to?! The _danger_ she was putting herself in?! 

"What's up? Cat got your tongue?" 

The smug smirk on her face as she lifted a hand to tap his nose did nothing but confuse him further. He didn't want this to happen. He didn't want to have to talk to her. He just wanted to go and take a hot shower. Was that too much to ask?

"Don't touch me." 

She leant forward, her head turned slightly to the side. "What was that?" 

"I said," His hands shot out, each grabbing one of her wrists and pinning them to the wall behind her. " _Don't. Touch. Me._ "

Now _that_ got her attention. This time, the startled expression on her face was more than satisfying. It wasn't panic. It wasn't fear. But it was _something_. It wasn't just ridiculous indifference. 

"Alright. Alright. Jeez. No need to get all temperamental." 

Beyond didn't let go, in fact his grip tightened on her wrists as he looked down at her. 

"What do you want with me?" 

She was silent for a few seconds, but each second felt like an hour as he stood there waiting for an answer. This wasn't going quick enough. 

"Don't make me ask aga-" 

"I want to go outside." 

_What?_

"What?"

"You heard me." 

She looked up and stared straight into his eyes. The look of determination on her face was actually a little bit impressive. 

"I want to go outside. And I want you to take me."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's been a while. Hello! So sorry for my absence. The truth is, I became a little distracted and lost my love for writing for a little while. My life got too busy and this wasn't at all at the top of my to do list. However, things have settled down a little now and I'm hoping to continue. I'm not going to promise frequent updates because whenever I attempt that, something seems to get in the way, but I am going to promise to try.
> 
> Thank you to those who have read, recommended, favourited and reviewed this while it's been inactive. You people are wonderful. Sorry it took so long. I hope you enjoy.


	17. Chapter 17

"No." 

Beyond was quite a few feet in front of Taylor now and there wasn't any sign that he'd be slowing down any time soon.

"Yes." 

"This isn't open for discussion, T." 

"You're right, it's not. You're taking me." 

"No." 

Beyond picked up his pace when she attempted to match his stride, refusing to even look at her. She was nothing but an annoyance to him now, not that she had been anything other than that before.

He heard a sigh come from behind and then nothing but silence followed. The footsteps stopped. Her breathing stopped. She stopped. Beyond turned his head to make sure, never once slowing down until he was sure she was gone. Where had she gone? He didn't know, but he was sure as hell glad she'd gone there. 

"Good. Maybe now I can have some peace." 

It stayed that way until he rounded the final corner and found her leaning on his door with a smug look on her face. He didn't like that look. That look suggested she was about to do something she would later regret. 

"Move." Beyond snapped, standing in front of her and his door. 

"Not until you agree to take me outside." 

"Look, if you really believe that this silly little game you are attempting to play is going to stop me from getting into my room and doing what I like then you should just pack up and go home now because you truly aren't smart enough to succeed L. Now, I won't ask again. _Move._ " 

She folded her arms across her chest. "Make me." 

Beyond's small hand shot out, wrapping around her wrist before he pulled her towards him. Clearly taken aback by the sudden movement, Taylor stumbled forward, unable to recover from the shock of him actually doing something to move her before she collided with him. The murderer looked down at her with disdain and opened his mouth to issue his next threat-

\- And then stopped. 

His head fell to the side as he listened, a look of concentration forming on his face as the seconds passed by. 

"What a-" 

Beyond's other hand moved up to cover her mouth, halting her mid-sentence so the silence could continue. 

Footsteps - no... _shuffling_. 

"L." 

T's eyes widened at the utterance of his name but Beyond couldn't tell if that was from excitement or panic. All he did know was that he really did not want to see L at this moment... especially not with the girl here too. 

Moving his hand from her mouth, Beyond hurried to get his keys from his pocket as Taylor stood there, her wrist still grasped within Beyond's hand, while her confusion simply grew. 

"What are you doing?"

" _Shut up._ " 

He pulled her to the side to unlock his door as the shuffling grew closer, his desperate need to get inside his room growing by the second. But that wasn't helped by Taylor's constant need to move and struggle against him. He couldn't let her go though - L might say something Beyond didn't want her to hear. L might say something that might cause questions. 

"Let go of me." 

"No." 

His bedroom door swung open and Taylor was thrown inside, shortly followed by Beyond who softly shut the door behind them. As she opened her mouth to protest, he lifted a finger to his lips and signaled for her to be quiet, desperately hoping she listened for just once in her life. 

But not as much as he hoped that shuffling would continue straight past his door. 

It didn't.

The knock that followed was a lot louder than he had expected, although Beyond didn't believe L had put that much force into it. Taylor practically skipped forward, her face filled with more excitement than Beyond had hoped to see. 

_Why is she so excited? It's just L._

"Open it." 

_At least she has the sense to whisper._

"No." 

"Why not?" 

"Because I don't particularly feel like being spoken down to again today." 

She rolled her eyes and took another step forward. 

"Open it, or I will." 

Beyond stared at her for a brief second, contemplating just what was wrong with the girl in front of him. Was she not scared of him? Did she not know who he was? Could she not sense what he was capable of? 

The second knock broke his train of thought and the quiet but bored "Beyond?" which followed simply annoyed him even more. 

"Open it!!" she whined, drawing closer. 

Beyond sighed and pulled her to the side of the door where she wouldn't be seen, motioning for her to stay where she was. 

"If you move or speak, I'm going to hurt you. Understand?"

She nodded, promptly miming zipping her lips. 

_Stupid girl._

"What do you want, L?" Beyond called from the other side of the closed door, truly hoping L would just leave without too much hassle.

"To discuss something with you in regards to your learning." 

"I can assure you I don't want to know. You're going to be wasting your time." 

"That may be, but I have already spoken to A so I must speak with you also." 

"Are you going to leave if I don't open the door?" 

"No. I can have Watari bring me a chair, some books and various snacks if need be. You will have to leave your room eventually, BB." 

Beyond prickled at that name, his hatred for the boy on the other side of the door simply growing more and more. But he wasn't stupid and knew the only way he would get him to leave any time soon would be to get this over and done with. 

He pulled the door open and raised an eyebrow, truly unimpressed by what stood in front of him. 

"You know, L, you're a real pain in the arse." 

"That may be, but I am still your predecessor." 

_You're also a dick._

"What do you want, L?" 

"Right, yes, tomorrow you will have a visitor taking your classes. A weapons specialist I am quite well acquainted with. She intends to teach you how to use every weapon available to you and help you in finding your strongest choice." 

Beyond frowned marginally, finding himself more confused than he had expected.

"A weapons specialist? Are you saying that you intend for us to learn to fight? To kill?"

"To defend yourself. Nothing more." 

"I see." 

_Does this mean we have to pretend we do not already know a lot of it?_

"Everyone needs to learn how to defend themselves, BB. Even us." 

"Especially you." 

"Yes. My position does place me in the line of fire. However, we have methods in place to ensure I am not revealed to the public unless entirely necessary. You do not need to worry, I am safe." 

_He truly is an idiot._

"I wasn't worried, L." 

Beyond saw Taylor frown out of the corner of his eye and sighed, checking a watch which wasn't there. 

"Well, as _wonderful_ as it has been talking with you, L, I have a lot better things to do with my time." 

"Oh? Like what?"

"Like nothing. Literally. Nothing. I would rather be doing absolutely nothing than stand here and talk with you." 

L's expression changed for a brief second (maybe even just a millisecond) into a very faint frown - Beyond began to wonder if this was the most emotion he had ever seen the detective display. 

"Your hostility towards me truly is unnecessary, BB. I have done nothing to warrant such attitude." 

"If you say so." 

_There's no need for you to tell him any different, now is there? Let him believe what he wants._

"I do." 

There was a silence which stretched between them for a while before L appeared to give up. It didn't take a genius to realise he was getting nowhere, after all. 

"Well, I will take my leave then." he muttered, turning to shuffle his way down the corridor. "Please relay the message to T, Beyond." 

"What?" 

But Beyond didn't get a reply from the detective, instead finding himself left wondering if L had been aware of her presence the entire time or if he were simply saying it in case Beyond saw her before he did. 

I'm not convinced he knows the answer even now. 

Beyond slumped against the door once it was shut, taking a moment to recompose himself before he turned his attention onto the girl in front of him. 

"You need to leave." 

"So that was L?!"

The young murderer pushed himself from the door and went to sit on his bed, dropping his head into his hands. 

_You're starting to develop a headache._

"Yes. Now leave." 

"You were very mean to him. Have you two had an argument?" 

"Why are you so interested?" 

Beyond pressed the power button on the remote, turning the TV on from his bed. 

"I've never met L before. Does he always talk like that? Or was that just today? Maybe he's tired..." 

"How would I know? I don't spend all day with him." 

"Did he look tired?" 

"He always does." 

"I wonder how much sleep he gets. He must be busy all the time. I mean, he is a detective after all. In fact, he's a great detective. Isn't he, Beyond? I don't think I've ever heard of anyone better than him. Don't y-" 

_**"Enough!"** _

Beyond snapped and stood up, fixing a glare onto the _finally_ silent girl. 

"Why are you so interested in him? _I don't know the answers!_ I don't care about him. I don't want to know about him. Hell, I don't even _like_ him! So stop asking me all these ridiculous questions and just _shut up_! If you want to know the answers you can go to bloody class like the rest of us or go and ask him yourself. Jesus christ. Just stop already!" 

Silence. 

He was breathing heavily now, his outburst taking the last morsel of energy he had left, but he wasn't going to give up and sit down again - not until she left anyway. 

_"And today's headline: A body of a woman and a young girl, suspected to be her daughter, have been found in an alley in the city. The suspects appear to have been murdered in a brutal attack. The whereabouts of the attacker are still unknown as Police search the area for any evidence. The head of this mission had this to say:"_

_"No evidence has been found as to the identity of the murderer yet but my team is working their hardest to find whoever did this. The criminal appears to have left a message saying "Are you proud now, L" although our experts are still trying to work out it's meaning. We believe the message may be a direct attack towards the detective known as L although we are still unsure as to why and we severely hope that L accepts our offer for him to take this case up himself. Our deepest sympathies go to the family who have been informed."_

_"More from that later - stay tuned to hear more. We're back in half an hour. I've been Jessica Francis, good night."_

The silence continued long after the reporter had stopped talking and Beyond began to wonder if she had forgotten just _how_ to speak. But she hadn't and it wasn't long before she had opened her mouth to talk.

"Where did you go today?" 

Beyond stared straight at her, his expression as blank as L's voice. 

"You don't need to know that." 

"Did you do that to that woman and child?" 

"Would you believe me either way?" 

Her head shook but only slightly - a clear indication of the conflict that was going on inside her brain. 

"Why L?" 

"There are many people out there who would want to contend L for a multitude of reasons. This was bound to happen some day." 

"Why?" 

Beyond sighed and moved to stand in front of her. She didn't look at him, she didn't even move. She just remained exactly how she had been before he'd moved. 

"You need to leave." 

"I need to leave..." 

"Yes."

He placed a hand on her arm, going to turn her to face the door, but she had started walking before he could apply any force. However, just when he began to think he was free, she stopped; her hand on his door handle. 

"If you take me outside, I'll come to classes." 

Beyond stopped and blinked, not truly sure of what was happening here. 

"Why would I care if you came to class?" 

Taylor lifted her head to look at him. 

"I know you don't like that you have to go to classes when I don't - that you have to suffer while I get away without any punishment. If you promise to take me outside, I'll go to classes." 

The silence filled the room again as Beyond thought this proposition over, not really sure how he was meant to respond to this. It was a lose-lose situation for him either way. If he agreed, he had to take her outside and admit that it bothered him she didn't go to class. If he refused he had to put up with the annoyance of her not going to class.

But which was the least painful to say?

"Fine. You come to class tomorrow and I'll think about taking you." 

She smiled and held out her hand towards him. 

"Promise?" 

He stared down at the hand, trying not to think about the multitude of bacteria which was probably festering on there, before taking it.

"Promise." 

"Good. I'll see you tomorrow then, bright and early. I already know exactly where I want to go." 

_Oh god. What have you done?_

But it was too late to back out now and, once again, Beyond found himself at a loss for words as someone walked away from him - leaving him staring at his now closed door. 

But what had he done? What had he just agreed to? Did he really want to have to put up with the hassle of taking her out of Wammy's just so that she would go to class? And why exactly did it matter to him if she went to class or not? 

_Because she was right. She has a freedom that you do not. She is doing exactly what you wish you could do and you can't stand that, can you?_

"No." 

_So what other option do you have? She'll come to class, and you'll get her out of here for a few hours. You can survive that, right?_

"Yes...?" 

_Good. Now what we really need to be thinking about is our next move against L. The game has started now. The challenge has been issued._

_Now we just need to see if he accepts._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Author's Note* Hi, hi! Here's the latest chapter (as you can see). This perhaps didn't quite form into words how I wanted it to, but I'm relatively happy with it and so I hope you are too! Thank you to those who have recently viewed and reviewed this! It's nice to see that my story has gained a few more followers and have reached the 'favourites' part of a few more people's pages. Really is reassuring to know that people like your work.
> 
> Thanks again to all of you who have stood by this story and are still keeping up with it even now. I'll try to get the next chapter out to you as soon as I am able. Thanks again. I'll see you next time!


	18. TOTE18

Beyond strolled into class forty minutes late and already done with the day. It made no difference to him that this was one of the more interesting classes which had been provided for him and it was true that it held potential to teach him things he was still unaware of... however it was still a class he had been unwillingly signed up for and, for that reason, he was against it. 

He entered the room with his hands in his pockets, his head held high and a smug smirk on his face but he was the only one with that expression. In fact, A held a look which could be more closely described as anxious and confused than the annoyed look he usually carried in regards to Beyond. And then he saw why. 

T had kept her word. 

The girl was in fact laid across one of the desks in the back of the shooting range, staring at the ceiling as she drummed her hands on her stomach. Beyond wasn't even sure if she had noticed his presence or not.

Not that he cared, of course. 

"Ah, Beyond. How nice of you to finally join us." 

Beyond. 

Not B. Not Back-Up. Not BB. _Beyond._

Beyond smiled and looked over to the woman who spoke... if she could even be called a woman yet. In truth, she didn't look that much older than L himself - late teens at the most. But the killer knew that physical appearance and age truly weren't anything to base opinions on. Especially not when it came to a topic such as this. 

"What can I say? I'm a busy man." 

" _Boy._ " she corrected. Beyond's smiled faltered but only for a second.

"Oh, how you wound me. Such venom before we have been properly introduced as well. Rosie, isn't it?"

"Pick, actually." 

Beyond was impressed. Most people took a moment to process the knowledge that he knew their true name without first being told or at least showed some sort of emotion, but not this one. Of course, it was possible for her to assume that L had previously told him of her identity but something told Beyond that wasn't the case. 

_Perhaps she is simply prepared for anything._

Beyond didn't understand why she would have to be. She was a weapons specialist, right? Nothing more. 

"Pick?" T piped up from the back of the room and, after shooting a quick glance in her direction, Beyond found her sat up and staring at the woman intently. "That's an interesting name."

"Now, Beyond, I think you've kept us waiting long enough. Shall we begin?"

"Well, actually, I think I might just miss out on this one. Things to do. People to see. I'm sure you kno-" 

Beyond was cut short by the small event of a gun being thrown at him from the stranger's direction.

Fully loaded. Safety off. 

He caught it, of course, but not without confusion. After all, it's not every day your teacher throws a loaded weapon at you in hope that you do actually catch it and don't accidentally shoot yourself... or a classmate. 

Beyond pointed it to the floor and flicked the safety off, quickly looking up to her consumed by pure fury. Not that he externally let that show. Every cell of his body was screaming at him to take the safety off and shoot her right then and there; to remove that smug look on her face once and for all. But he was smarter than that. He knew what she was trying to do and he wasn't going to succumb to it.

Not now. 

Not _ever_. 

"That was a little dangerous, don't you think? I could have hurt myself. Or someone else."

"But you didn't."

"But I _could_ have." 

"But you _didn't_."

_She knows._

She couldn't know. 

"You're quite confident in my reflexes for a girl who doesn't even know me." 

"I had a feeling you'd catch it." 

_She knows. She knows what you are._

She didn't. How could she? 

"So you were willing to risk your career - and possibly life - on a feeling? That's stupid." 

"You caught it, didn't you?" 

_She's one of you. She knows and she's testing you._

She wasn't. L wouldn't hire someone like him. 

Right? 

There was silence in the firing range for the first time since he'd entered the room. But this time he wasn't grateful for the silence. This time he was infuriated by it. This time he wanted to scream and rip out her throat for exposing him like this. Because Beyond shouldn't know how to handle a gun and, by the way A and T were looking at him, they knew that too. But he couldn't do anything about that and she knew it. He could tell by the painfully smug smirk that was plastered onto her stupid face and from the way she held herself. 

She didn't care about him. 

She'd gotten the reaction she wanted and that was all that mattered to her. 

"So. Just why _are_ you called Pick?" 

T's voice cut through the tension in the air like a knife and, thankfully, Beyond wasn't the first to look away. Instead, their 'teacher' reluctantly dragged her gaze from his to regard T. Her expression of smug victory quickly being replaced by polite inquisitiveness. 

"Oh that? It's a name I got because of my profession. Kind of like a nickname... An alias, if you will." 

"Really?" T was sat as far forward on the edge of that table as she could get now, completely and utterly enthralled by the venomous creature that stood across from Beyond. "What is your profession?" 

"Pick-pocketing." 

The silence returned but this time it was one of disbelief. 

_Told you. She's one of you._

"Pick-pocketing." Beyond echoed, his gaze not really focused on anything anymore. 

"Yes, that's right. I'm a professional criminal." 

She even sounded _proud_ of it. 

Beyond couldn't believe what he was hearing. A professional criminal. L had sent a professional criminal to teach them skills they apparently needed to bring down people like her! But what did that mean? Did he know? Was L aware of just who he had sent into their midst? Did he not understand just how dangerous that could be for him? For Beyond? 

"Does he know?" Beyond asked, his voice barely above a whisper now. He had managed to drag his gaze back onto hers, but he wasn't really looking, not now.

"Who? L? Of course! We have quite a good understanding, really. L quite frequently hires me for jobs he can't do alone." 

"L?! L hires you? But he's meant to be stopping people like you! I don't understand." T protested. Her amazement had now turned to pure confusion but Beyond wasn't sure if he preferred it or not. 

"There are even things L can't do, you know? How is he meant to get the information he needs or steal something back from someone if he's just sat in his chair behind a desk? There are times when even the World's Greatest Detective needs help and, believe me, there's a lot worse than me that he's affiliated with. Hell, there's even been talk of him perhaps raising some like you to join my ranks in the future." 

Beyond internally flinched, her suggestions bringing more questions to the surface than he had expected. 

Was he just being used?

Had L been aware of Beyond's true nature from the start?

Did he plan on raising Beyond to work for him? 

Was he just another one of L's projects after all? 

"Unacceptable." 

"What was that, Beyond?" 

Everyone was facing him now but he didn't see them. His grip tightened on the gun in his hand in a moment of frustration before he spun on his heel and headed for the door, throwing the gun onto a nearby table. 

"I'm going to leave. There's no reason for me to be here. I don't really believe you're capable of teaching us anything of use so I'm going to use my time more effectively. I'm done." 

"No you're not." 

Beyond stopped and whirled around, completely sick of her snarky answers. 

"Aren't I? And just who are you to tell me when I am and aren't done wasting my time, girl? You have no authority over me and I sure as Hell don't intend to stand around and listen to some bint who thinks it's a good idea to throw _weapons_ at the very people she's meant to be teaching." 

"I'm the one with the gun." 

"What?"

Beyond froze when he saw her lift a gun and point it at his head. He didn't think she'd do it. Not really. Surely she wasn't _that_ stupid. Right? _Right?!_

_She did throw a loaded gun at you... with the safety off._

"What are you doing?" 

"Not tolerating your shit. You do not hold the authority here. I do. Now you are going to come back into this class and do exactly as I say and you will learn whether you like it or not. Understand?" 

"You won't shoot me." 

She grinned and pulled the safety back, placing her finger on the trigger. 

"Are you sure?"

_She's one of you and she's not afraid to show it. Not anymore. What are you going to do, boy?_

"I don't know." 

_Best get thinking._

"What was that, Beyond? Finally realising you're not the most important one here?" 

"No-now don't you think this is a little unnecessary?" T asked, slipping off of the table and edging closer towards the two, almost as if she believed her presence could defuse the situation. 

Beyond raised a hand towards her, signalling for her to stay still, all while never once taking his eyes off of the woman. 

"Don't bother. I don't need your help." 

"I wouldn't be so quick to turn down help, Beyond. You're pretty much out of options now." Pick remarked.

Neither of them had even so much as glanced at T. 

"I'm not. Not at all." 

"Oh? And just what else could you choose to do apart from listen to me?" 

"I could make a bet with you. If I win, I leave. If you win, I stay. No questions asked." 

The safety was flicked back on but the gun wasn't lowered. Not even in the slightest. 

"And what would we be playing?" 

"A game of accuracy, if you like. Whoever's the better shot wins. What do you say?" 

Her pride had gotten the better of her, just as Beyond had anticipated, and in no time the gun was lowered and haltered. He could tell she already thought she had won. But he wasn't worried. He was far from done just yet.

"Alright, sweetheart, as you wish. I'll go first, if you don't mind." 

"Not at all. I was going to suggest the same." 

"Such a gentleman." she muttered, moving to stand on her mark and take aim. "Three shots each. The person with the most points wins. Got it?" 

"Crystal clear." he answered but he doubted she had heard him. 

She wasted no time in taking her shots one straight after the other, all finding their place around the bullseye. One found home within the centre earning her a solid ten points, something she seemed extremely satisfied with. The other two, however, found their place just outside the ten mark boundary, awarding her nine marks for each. 

Beyond was next.

"Your turn, kid. Take your best shot." 

He smiled at her politely as he collected his gun from the table and made his way to his mark. He aimed the gun as best he could, making sure it looked like his first time aiming - he even added the small, scared tremble just for dramatic effect. He heard her quiet scoff as she noticed and fired. 

One on the bullseye.

One on the 9 mark. 

One on the line. 

"I win." Beyond remarked, turning to face her.

"No you don't, you little brat! That's on the line! It's a draw."

"It's clearly over the line. It's more on the bullseye than the 9 band. Just admit your defeat."

" _I will not!_ That is in the 9 band, not the bullseye! Jesus christ, how can you not see that?!" 

Beyond shrugged, clearly not caring. 

"I can't see something that isn't there." 

In her frustration, she put down her gun and cross the line, walking down to the target. 

_Perfect._

She leant close to the paper, narrowing her eyes at the hole his bullet had made and turned back to him, pointing at it happily. 

"Look! It's in the 9 band! It's a tie! We have to fire aga-" 

Beyond threw the knife. 

Her words were cut short by the blade embedding itself into her shirt sleeve, pinning her to the target. 

Pick stared at the blade, her mouth still open from the sentence she had failed to finish, almost as though she couldn't believe it was there. But it was and, if she didn't react soon, there would be another embedded into her chest within a short amount of time. 

The girl turned to look at the younger male to find his arm raised behind his head, his next blade held between his fingers, ready to be launched. 

_Now you have here. **Finish it.**_

"You really should have thought before you threatened me, Rosie." 

Beyond grinned, entirely pleased with himself and how his plan had worked out. She truly was just like all the other stupid humans out there. 

There was nothing remarkable about her. 

He tensed his arm and prepared to throw, drawing it back ever so slightly before bringing it forward and- 

"Beyond." 

The knife dropped from his fingers and clattered on the ground. 

Beyond turned towards the door to find L stood there, slouched over, observing him carefully. He inclined his head, indicating for the boy to join him. 

"Come with me."

_You were so close. You had her!_

Beyond heard the beginning of a sob form in the girl's throat as he left the room and a pang of disappointment rolled through him about the fact he hadn't gotten to see the look on her face as she cried. He had won and L had taken that away from him. 

Again. 

He followed silently behind the detective all the way to his office where he was offered a seat. Beyond wasn't sure what this was about nor was he about to ask, but he was sure of one thing: there was a lot he didn't know about the older male in front of him - and a lot of it he really needed to know. 

"Beyond."

"Yes?" 

"I want you to watch something." 

L took up his usual position of crouching in the armchair across from B and turned the laptop to face him, hitting play as soon as he was sure Beyond could see the screen. 

" _A body of a woman and a young girl, suspected to be her daughter, have been found in an alley-_ " 

Beyond blinked and looked up to L, raising his eyebrow at the detective.

"Someone's been murdered. It happens. So what?" 

"That is not the interesting part, BB." 

L muttered, skipping further through the report. He froze the screen on a shot of the bloody message on the wall. 

"Are you proud now, L?" Beyond echoed, narrowing his eyes at the screen for a moment before flitting them back up to the other's face.

It was expressionless... as always. 

"Is there some meaning behind this, L?" 

"I don't know. You tell me, BB."

Beyond paused, contemplating L's words. It was obvious the other suspected him, but Beyond had to wonder just what it was that made L suspect _him_. 

Lifting his hands in mock surrender, Beyond shrugged. 

"Sorry, but I don't have a clue. Maybe you've pissed someone off recently? Surely there are a lot of people out there who don't like you. This can't be the first time this has happened to you." 

"No, it is not. But this is the first time something like this has happened so close to the orphanage." 

"So what? Do you really think crime doesn't exist in this little town? I'm sure there are bad guys here too, L." 

"Yes, I believe they may be closer than I suspected." L muttered, staring evenly at Beyond. 

Beyond didn't move or falter under the other's gaze. He knew better than that. The detective had no proof to pin the murders to Beyond and, if Beyond had done his job properly, he wouldn't be finding any anytime soon. All L had was assumptions and a couple of dead bodies. 

"I don't know what you want to say, L, but it looks like you have a murder to solve." 

"I agree. I have a feeling this is only the start, don't you?" 

Beyond stood and smiled down to the other. 

"Yeah. Seems like this person really has it out for you, eh? Best get it solved quickly. Who knows how much damage they could do." 

"Oh, trust me, I will. Justice will prevail in the end. It always does." 

"I'm sure. But don't get too cocky - I'm sure even you are capable of messing up. I'd hate to see that reputation of yours tarnished." Beyond looked down to the desk and pushed the laptop back to the Detective. "But it looks like you're busy, so I'll get out of your hair." 

With that, Beyond stepped around the chair and headed towards the door.

"Beyond? Don't leave the orphanage. If there really is someone out there targeting me, it puts you three at risk also. I will be initiating extra security measures after today." Beyond turned back to look at the Detective who was simply staring at his screen. "You could say we are entering lock down." 

"Got it. No leaving. I'll tell the others." 

Beyond closed the door behind him and strode down the corridor. It wasn't until he had past the corner that he chose to acknowledge the other presence following behind him.

"You know, Taylor, I don't appreciate eavesdroppers." 

The girl dropped from the rafters behind him, raising herself up to her full height slowly this time. When he turned to meet her gaze he saw something he hadn't seen before in those eyes. A new sort of coldness only reserved for him. But there was a hint of curiosity in there too. 

_She's scared of you, but she's still interested. You're different. She can't help herself._

"So, did you get a good earful? Or were the walls too thick for you to hear anything? Because I hate to break it to you, but I don't usually get the minutes from those little meetings for you to read." 

"We're entering lock down." 

"That's right." 

She was silent but he had expected that. She had wanted to leave this place for a short while, right? She had wanted to experience a bit of freedom for once. And now L was taking that from her. 

"Well? Are you ready?" 

Her gaze shot back up to meet his, her expression composed of equal parts confusion as hesitancy. 

"What?" 

"If we're going to leave we need to do it pretty quickly. I mean, I'm good, but it might take me a couple of weeks to figure out this new security system he intends to install." Beyond grinned and slipped his hands into his pockets. "Best to leave before he has chance to change anything, right?"

"Really?" she asked, clearly not wanting to get ahead of herself. Beyond didn't blame her, he wasn't exactly known for his kindness. "We're going outside?"

"Only if you can get your arse into gear quick enough, girl. I've not got all day. Times ticking." 

He could see the excitement in her eyes as she literally bounced on the spot. It was almost as though she didn't know what to do first. Move or talk. She should have been more planned for this. 

"Well?" 

"Right! Yes! I need to grab a bag! I didn't expect this to be so soon." 

"Yeah well, don't make me change my mind." 

"No! Okay! Good point! I'll go... grab my things. Are we really going?" 

"Jesus, girl, how many times do I have to say it?!" 

" _Really?_ "

Beyond sighed and dragged a hand through his hair, letting it fall however it wanted.

"God I regret this already. Look, go grab your stuff, I'll meet you by the tree you ambushed me at last time in ten minutes, okay? Make sure you don't spill your guts to anyone until then. If you tell a soul we're doing this it's off, okay?" 

She nodded, grinning at him wildly. He stared at her for a while, waiting for her to move, but that never happened. The killer rolled his eyes and looked away, unable to comprehend the stupidity of the girl in front of him. 

" _ **Go!**_ " 

"Oh! Right! Yeah! Alright!" 

Beyond shook his head and turned to leave, figuring she'd actually start moving if he wasn't there to distract her. But he'd only gotten a few steps away before he heard her voice again. 

"Thank you." 

It was quite, but it was enough for him to hear. He faltered in his step for a moment before waving a hand in disregard and carrying on his way. 

She wouldn't be thanking him if she knew what he really was. In fact, he doubted she'd be anywhere near him if she knew what he really was, not for long anyway, and with the way things were going it wouldn't be long before she found out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey there everyone! Next chapter up and running (as you've probably figured out if you're reading this). Actually rather enjoyed writing this chapter, if I'm honest. It was a lot of fun, especially since I haven't had much inspiration as of late. It's nice to see this has a few more followers as well and a couple of new reviews. You guys keep me going. We wouldn't be here if it wasn't for you so, thank you. Not sure when the next update is going to be. Let's hope soon, eh? 
> 
> I'll see you all then! Thanks for reading. I hope you like it.


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